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The 

TRAIL  BLAZERS  P 


By 
LAWTON  B.  EVANS 


PIONEERS 

OF  THE 
NORTHWEST 


Illustrated.  By 
OLIVER  KEMP 


MILTON  BRADLEY  COMPANY  i^ 


SPRINGFIELD     ■     MASS 


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Copyright,   1925 

By  MILTON  BRADLEY  COMPANY 

Springfield,  Massachusetts 

All  Rights  Reserved 


PRINTED   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES   OF   AMERICA 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    Down  the  Ohio 1 

II.     In  the  Northwest  Territory    .  26 

III.  The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  .    .  57 

IV.  Winning  the  People    ....  84 
V.     The  Conquest  Spreads    .    .    .  Ill 

VI.    Affairs  at  Vincennes  ....  136 

VII.     The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit    .  170 

VIII.     The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Mes- 
sage       198 

IX.     Clark  Makes  Ready  to  March 

on  Vincennes 225 

X.     Over  the  Drowned  Lands  to 

Victory 248 

XI.    The   New    American    North- 
west      262 


INTRODUCTION 

Among  all  the  romantic  episodes  of  the  war  of 
the  American  Revolution,  that  of  George  Rogers 
Clark  and  his  band  of  sturdy  men  from  Vir- 
ginia and  Kentucky,  stands  among  the  foremost. 
That  two  hundred  men  should  overrun  a  hostile 
territory  larger  than  France,  and  hold  it  for 
three  years,  and  at  the  end  see  it  brought  under 
the  American  flag,  reads  like  a  knightly  tale  of 
ancient  times. 

The  narrative  adheres  to  the  facts  so  far  as  the 
story  at  large  is  concerned.  All  the  characters 
are  historical  except  that  of  the  drummer  boy. 
All  the  incidents  occurred  as  recorded  except  a 
few  in  the  conduct  of  the  Big  Gate,  the  Indian 
chief.  The  only  liberty  taken  with  the  his- 
torical account  is  the  personal  touch  that  gives 
human  interest  to  the  story. 

The  author  hopes  that  no  part  of  the  narrative 
will  lessen  the  regard  that  Americans  now  feel 
for  their  great  allies,  the  English  and  the  French. 
Conditions  then  and  now  are  very  different,  and 
readers  should  not  carry  the  shortcomings  of  an 
enemy  beyond  those  times  in  which  they  occurred. 

v 


yi  Introduction 

That  the  thrilling  story  of  the  conquest  of  the 
Northwest  Territory,  by  which  five  great  states 
and  part  of  another  were  added  to  our  common 
union,  shall  bring  a  deeper  appreciation  of  the 
pioneer  who  carved  an  empire  out  of  a  wilder- 
ness, is  the  great  hope  of  the  author  of  this 
volume. 

Lawton  B.  Evans 


THE  TEAIL  BLAZEES 


CHAPTER  I 


DOWN  THE  OHIO 


IT  was  May.  The  long  reaches  of  the  Ohio 
stretched  lazily  in  the  young  spring  as  if 
awakening  from  a  winter  sleep.  The  waves 
stirred  gently  in  the  morning  wind,  and  occa- 
sional ripples  showed  the  leaping  of  fish  to  an 
unwary  fly.  The  banks  were  heavily  wooded, 
with  tall  trees  showing  a  background  of  un- 
broken forest,  while  bushes  of  all  sorts  dipped 
their  branches  sleepily  into  the  currents.  There 
was  a  dignity  about  the  great  river,  as  it  silently 
and  solemnly  plowed  its  way  into  the  West,  wait- 
ing for  the  traffic  that  was  to  crowd  its  waters 
a  hundred  years  later. 

Now  it  looked  large  and  lonesome.  No  vil- 
lages along  the  banks,  no  landings,  no  farm 
houses,  ho  blowing  of  whistles,  no  call  of  boat- 
men, no  signs  of  civilization.  Only  a  great  river 
finding  its  way  through  the  wilderness  to  join 

another  great  river  on  its  way  to  the  sea. 

l 


2  The  Trail  Blazers 

Around  a  bend  appeared  a  small  boat,  then 
another,  and  another,  until  probably  a  score  had 
lined  out  in  the  current  of  the  stream,  guided  by 
the  strong  arms  of  lusty  oarsmen.  The  men 
were  quiet  and  bent  to  their  tasks  without  merri- 
ment. They  seemed  as  solemn  as  the  river,  and 
as  earnest  as  the  deep  wilderness  through  which 
the  current  was  bearing  them. 

They  were  rough  men,  born  of  the  frontier,  and 
accustomed  to  its  hardships  and  perils.  They 
wore  the  clothing  of  hunters,  a  fringed  shirt 
made  of  buckskin,  leggings  of  buckskin,  and  moc- 
casins of  untanned  leather.  Their  faces  were 
brown  with  exposure  to  sun  and  weather,  their 
hair  heavy  and  matted,  and  their  chins  guiltless 
of  any  effort  to  prevent  the  growth  of  beard. 

The  strength  of  the  forest-bred  was  in  their 
arms,  the  wariness  of  the  scout  in  their  eyes,  the 
suppleness  of  wild  animals  in  the  movement  of 
their  limbs.  It  was  a  picked  body  of  men  mostly 
from  Virginia,  bent  on  adventure  and  long  accus- 
tomed to  take  care  of  themselves. 

Each  man  had  a  long  flint-lock  rifle,  heavy  and 
clumsy,  but  he  had  grown  used  to  it,  and  there 
was  not  one  of  them  who  could  not  grab  his  gun 
at  a  moment's  notice,  raise  it  to  his  shoulders 
standing,  and  fire  on  the  instant,  making  sure  of 
his  mark  at  a  hundred  paces.     Many  an  Indian 


Down  the  Ohio  3 

had  felt  their  deadly  marksmanship,  and  the  red 
men  knew  that  death  followed  close  behind  the 
blazing  of  those  ungainly  weapons. 

Some  of  the  men  carried  scalping-knives,  and 
tomahawks  stuck  in  their  belts.  As  for  wood- 
craft they  could  teach  an  Indian  tricks  that  he  did 
not  know.  There  was  no  chance  to  lose  any  of 
them  in  the  forest,  nor  would  he  perish  for  lack 
of  food  even  with  snow  upon  the  ground.  For 
long  they  had  been  accustomed  to  Indian  fight- 
ing, and  well  they  had  learned  the  game  out  of 
sheer  necessity  for  their  lives.  In  dread  of  their 
unfailing  aim,  and  in  remembrance  of  many  a 
long  shot  that  had  brought  a  half -exposed  body 
to  the  ground,  the  savages  called  them  "The 
Long  Knives"  and  the  word  was  enough  to  carry 
terror  to  the  farthest  settlements  of  the  savages 
in  the  northwest  country. 

In  the  front  boat  sat  a  young  man,  twenty-six 
years  old,  named  George  Rogers  Clark.  He  was 
short  and  stocky,  but  lithe  as  a  panther,  with  an 
eye  that  his  followers  feared  when  it  blazed  and  a 
voice  that  called  for  obedience  when  it  spoke. 
Evidently  he  was  in  command.  He  was  looking 
ahead,  down  the  current  of  the  stream,  and  spoke 
to  the  man  next  to  him  without  turning  around. 

"How  many  men  are  in  the  boats?" 

"One  hundred   and   fifty.     I   counted   them 


4  The  Trail  Blazers 

when  we  went  afloat  at  Red  Stone  Old  Fort," 
was  the  reply. 

"Warn  them  not  to  paddle  too  fast,  for  there 
are  some  families  in  the  last  boats  going  down 
the  river  to  live  in  the  new  settlements.  There 
are  women  and  children  and  they  must  be  looked 
after,"  said  Clark. 

"Very  well,  sir,"  said  the  man. 

There  was  but  little  noise  on  the  river.  The 
men  dipped  their  blades  skilfully  and  silently  in 
the  water,  lifting  them  noiselessly  to  dip  them 
again.  There  was  no  talking  from  boat  to  boat, 
no  singing,  and  no  movement  of  body.  To  one 
on  the  shore  there  came  no  sound  of  paddle  strik- 
ing gunwale,  or  uncomfortable  foot  changing 
place.  Noise  carries  far  across  the  water  and 
the  men  knew  that  possible  danger  lurked  behind 
the  bushes. 

"Any  sign  of  Indians?"  asked  Clark,  in  a  low 
voice,  of  one  of  his  men  who  was  looking  intently 
at  the  shore. 

"I  saw  a  movement  in  the  bushes  that  looked 
very  like  one.  Still  I  am  not  sure.  It  is  a 
long  ways  off,"  was  the  answer. 

Clark  glanced  at  the  shore  uneasily,  and  then 
looked  back  at  the  long  line  of  boats  and  the  men 
paddling  steadily,  intent  upon  their  work.  He 
looked  at  the  river  ahead  of  him  gleaming  broad 


Down  the  Ohio  5 

and  bright  in  the  sun.  Then  he  gazed  again  at 
the  deep  forests  on  either  side  and  wondered  what 
those  dusky  shadows  held  in  the  way  of  murder- 
ous savages,  who  might  be  intent  upon  the 
destruction  of  the  little  villages  and  forts  that 
were  finding  their  way  into  the  West.  He  smiled 
with  deep  content  when  he  thought  of  the  men 
whom  he  had  picked  for  the  voyage,  how  strong 
and  brave,  how  trustworthy,  more  skilled  in 
Indian  warfare  than  the  savages  themselves,  and 
how  deadly  their  rifles  once  their  target  was 
chosen. 

He  sat  back  in  the  boat  and  thought  of  what 
he  was  undertaking.  His  mind  wandered  over 
the  events  of  the  great  war  for  American  liberty, 
that  was  being  fought  with  the  mother  country, 
of  the  three  years  that  the  war  had  already  lasted, 
and  the  end  not  yet  in  sight.  He  smiled  as  he 
thought  of  Burgoyne,  and  frowned  as  he  thought 
of  Valley  Forge.  Truly  the  colonists  were  hav- 
ing a  hard  time  of  it,  but  they  were  fighting  on 
their  own  ground  and  in  a  righteous  cause,  and 
their  enemies  were  only  half-hearted. 

He  looked  ahead  as  if  to  see  the  great  north- 
west territory  beyond  him,  teeming  with  savages 
— a  land  in  the  grip  of  the  English  though 
peopled  largely  with  French.  To  one  side  lay 
Kentucky,  to  the  other  the  great  territory,  the 


6  The  Trail  Blazers 

Ohio  dividing  them.  His  thoughts  wandered  to 
Detroit  where  Hamilton,  the  English  Comman- 
dant, was  deluding  the  savages  with  presents,  and 
inciting  them  to  cruelty  upon  the  unprotected 
frontier  settlements  of  the  Americans ;  of  how  he 
would  gather  the  tribes  together,  and  dance  with 
them,  and  make  them  promises  and  fair  speeches, 
and  set  them  on  to  their  murderous  work.  He 
wondered  in  his  mind  if  Hamilton  really  offered 
a  bounty  on  the  scalps  of  white  men  and  deserved 
the  name  of  the  "Hair  Buyer,"  as  he  was  called. 
He  shook  his  head  in  doubt  if  any  man  could  be 
guilty  of  such  atrocious  conduct. 

"But,"  said  he  to  himself,  "one  band  of  savages 
after  another  has  crossed  this  very  river  looking 
for  scalps  of  helpless  settlers  to  sell  in  Detroit, 
or  at  least  that  is  the  report,  and  the  devils  may 
be  on  the  warpath  now.  And  what  happens? 
Their  painted  faces  appear  when  least  expected, 
their  yells  sound  in  the  forest  where  silence  has 
been  for  months.  The  pioneer  is  shot  down  in  his 
field,  his  cattle  destroyed,  his  house  burned,  his 
family  carried  off.  Hunters  are  waylaid  and 
murdered,  women  going  to  the  spring  for  water 
are  tomahawked,  children  playing  around  the 
yard  are  snatched  up  and  carried  away.  I 
wonder  that  anybody  dares  live  in  this  wilder- 
ness."    The  young  leader  cast  apprehensive  eyes 


Down  the  Ohio  7 

at  the  deep  forest  that  shadowed  the  river,  and 
glanced  back  at  the  boats  that  held  the  fearless 
families  braving  the  terrors  of  the  frontier. 

Then  he  thought  of  his  own  purpose  to  capture 
all  the  country  from  Hamilton  and  the  British, 
and  his  visit  to  Patrick  Henry,  governor  of  Vir- 
ginia. He  remembered  that  Henry  had  said  to 
him,  "It  is  a  foolish  enterprise,  and  you  could  not 
get  many  to  go  with  you.  If  you  have  such  an 
undertaking  in  mind,  you  had  better  keep  it  to 
yourself  until  you  are  well  on  your  way." 

Then  he  remembered  his  quarrel  with  the  gov- 
ernor over  powder,  and  over  equipment  and 
money,  and  over  other  things  and  how  finally  he 
secured  one  set  of  papers  directing  him  to  protect 
Kentucky  and  another  authorizing  him  to  drive 
the  British  from  the  northwest  territory,  if  he 
could. 

He  smiled  when  he  thought  of  how  those  one 
hundred  and  fifty  men  would  look  when  he  told 
them  he  was  not  only  bent  on  defending  a 
few  forts  further  down  the  river,  but  that  he  was 
going  to  propose  to  them  to  conquer  a  country 
many  times  larger  than  England  herself,  and 
hold  it  for  the  United  Colonies  whenever  peace 
came,  if  it  ever  should  come. 

Clark  tapped  his  tightly  buttoned  jacket  and 
felt  the  papers  concealed  in  his  pocket.     "Here 


8  The  Trail  Blazers 

I  have  my  commission  as  colonel,  and  my  orders 
to  drive  the  British  from  their  forts.  It  is  a  dar- 
ing thing  to  do,  but  I  have  trusty  men  with  me, 
and  there  are  others  ahead." 

The  boats  drifted  on  in  the  sunlight.  Noon 
came  and  went.  The  men  ate  scantily  of  food 
already  prepared,  and  guided  their  boats  as  they 
ate.  The  current  was  swift  in  some  places,  slow 
in  others.  The  craft  kept  close  together,  and  in 
mid-stream,  fearing  that  some  savage  flotilla 
would  dart  from  the  shore  and  attack  a  single 
boat  before  the  others  could  come  to  its  rescue. 
The  day  wore  on  and  the  men  bent  tirelessly  to 
their  work. 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  around  a 
bend  in  the  river,  the  boats  came  in  sight  of  a 
small  fort  almost  hidden  by  the  trees.  Toward 
this  fort  the  boats  made  their  way.  There  was 
evidently  some  confusion  and  things  did  not  look 
in  order.  There  was  evidence  of  heavy  brush  be- 
ing piled  up  and  burned,  of  the  limbs  of  trees 
broken  off  and  scattered,  and  what  little  grain 
that  had  been  planted  and  was  starting  to  grow, 
trampled  by  many  feet. 

The  Colonel  was  wary  and  checked  the  boats 
some  distance  from  the  bank.  In  his  mind  was 
the  fear  that  a  band  of  Indians  had  destroyed  an- 
other fort  and  killed  all  its  occupants.    He  called 


Down  the  Ohio  9 

aloud  two  or  three  times.  Then  to  his  relief  he 
saw  the  gate  open  and  a  man  appear  and  run 
down  to  the  water's  edge.  It  was  the  Com- 
mandant, overjoyed  to  see  the  faces  of  white 
men. 

"What  has  happened?"  asked  Clark,  as  his 
boats  drew  up  to  the  landing,  "and  why  all  this 
confusion?  I  am  Colonel  Clark  and  these  are 
my  followers.  Have  the  Shawanees  been  after 
you  again?" 

"The  Indians  have  been  here  for  eight  days, 
and  we  have  been  in  a  terrible  condition.  They 
left  yesterday  for  the  interior  and  God  knows 
what  helpless  settlement  will  fall  a  prey  to  their 
firebrands  and  tomahawks,"  said  the  Comman- 
dant, still  under  the  strain  and  excitement  of  the 
siege. 

"Were  they  some  of  Hamilton's  allies,  or 
could  you  tell?"  inquired  the  Colonel,  as  he 
stepped  ashore. 

"I  do  not  know.  We  still  have  our  scalps  on 
our  heads,  but  there  were  times  when  we  doubted 
if  they  would  stay  there  long,"  was  the  answer. 

The  men  pulled  their  boats  well  up  on  the 
bank,  and  fastened  them  to  roots  of  trees  or  to 
the  landing  itself.  There  was  no  room  inside  the 
fort  for  so  large  a  company,  and  they  made  them- 
selves a  camp  outside.    Only  the  women  and  chil- 


10  The  Trail  Blazers 

dren  of  the  families  that  accompanied  Clark  were 
taken  inside  the  enclosure.  Fires  were  built  in 
the  open,  the  evening  meal  was  cooked,  and  the 
men  sat  around  with  ill-concealed  desire  to  go 
after  the  savages  that  were  on  the  soil  of  Ken- 
tucky. The  soldiers  from  the  fort  came  and  sat 
with  the  Long  Knives,  and  according  to  the  cus- 
tom of  the  frontier  talked  in  low  voices  and 
earnestly. 

Clark  and  the  Commandant  moved  to  one  side. 
"Tell  me  of  the  attack  and  the  number  of  In- 
dians and  how  you  defended  yourselves,"  said 
the  Colonel. 

"It  is  a  short  story,  and  like  all  the  others,"  re- 
plied the  Commandant.  "We  had  not  seen  In- 
dians for  many  months,  and  had  fancied  the  Ohio 
free  of  them.  One  evening  the  men  were  scat- 
tered, some  in  the  forest,  some  on  the  river,  some 
in  the  fort.  I  was  on  the  landing  looking  over 
the  river,  when  I  saw  a  dozen  canoes  filled  with 
Indians  dart  out  of  the  bushes  from  the  other 
side.  I  blew  the  alarm  quick  and  loud  and  the 
men  came  running  from  the  woods,  and  the  boats 
in  the  river  put  in  for  the  banks.  It  was  a  race 
for  protection,  for  the  savages  were  three  times 
our  number.  The  men  from  the  fort  held  off  the 
savages  until  the  others  could  get  inside,  and 
there  were  some  dead  bodies  in  the  river,  and 


Down  the  Ohio  11 

some  Indians  who  would  never  sound  a  war  cry 
any  more,  before  the  firing  ceased." 

"What  then?"  asked  Colonel  Clark. 

"For  eight  days  they  hung  around.  By  day 
they  were  out  of  sight,  by  night  they  burned  the 
brush,  tore  limbs  from  the  trees,  and  trampled 
the  grain.  We  took  toll  of  their  number  every 
now  and  then  when  we  could  get  a  shot  at  them. 
We  did  not  lose  a  man  but  we  suffered  for  water. 
There  was  no  way  of  going  to  the  spring,  or  to 
the  river." 

"Did  they  make  any  determined  attack  on  the 
fort?" 

"Day  before  yesterday,  about  daybreak,  after 
we  had  been  watching  all  night,  the  woods  were 
full  of  their  yells,  and  they  rushed  on  the  fort  in 
full  fury,  firing  as  they  came.  It  seemed  that 
they  were  determined  to  take  us  by  storm.  Our 
men  leaped  to  their  guns  and  blazed  away.  The 
savages  came  to  the  gate  and  tried  to  break  it 
down.  Some  tried  to  climb  the  palisade  to  get 
inside." 

"Did  any  of  them  get  inside?"  asked  the 
Colonel. 

"Yes,  probably  six  or  seven.  Their  bodies 
have  gone  down  the  river  with  the  others,"  re- 
plied the  Commandant,  with  a  grim  smile. 

"How  long  did  the  attack  last?" 


12  The  Trail  Blazers 

"Nearly  all  day.  They  would  attack  and  run 
back  to  the  cover  of  the  woods.  Then  they  would 
come  again.  Once  we  thought  the  gate  was  gone 
when  they  brought  a  big  log  and  used  it  for  a 
battering  ram.  But  I  killed  the  leader  and  the 
others  ran.  At  last  they  gave  it  up  and  yester- 
day with  a  yell  and  a  few  shots  we  saw  them  get 
in  their  boats  and  cross  the  river.  Then  we  flung 
the  dead  ones  in  the  water.  The  others  may  have 
gone  further  down  and  up  some  creek  to  land 
and  on  their  way  to  the  interior.  God  help  the 
women  and  children  if  they  come  upon  them  un- 
awares." 

The  Commandant  tried  to  persuade  Clark  to 
go  after  the  marauders,  and  capture  them  be- 
fore they  could  do  any  great  damage,  but  the 
Colonel  shook  his  head.  "There  is  plenty  of 
work  ahead  for  me  and  my  men.  We  cannot  be 
diverted  from  a  greater  purpose.  We  must  stop 
all  this  trouble  at  the  source,  and  see  that  their 
bands  cannot  come  into  this  country  that  we  are 
trying  to  settle.  Then  I  am  pledged  to  look  after 
those  families  that  are  going  down  the  river  to 
find  homes  somewhere.  I  am  in  some  way  their 
escort.  Besides,  where  could  we  hunt  for  a  body 
of  Indians  in  all  this  wilderness?  They  vanish 
in  the  forest  like  smoke  from  a  fire.     No,  we  leave 


Down  the  Ohio  13 

tomorrow  and  for  bigger  game,"  and  with  that 
the  Commandant  had  to  be  content. 

Under  the  stars  and  by  the  dying  fires  the  camp 
slept.  The  Long  Knives  knew  nothing  of  the 
great  purpose  in  the  mind  of  their  young  Colonel. 
They  wanted  to  go  after  Indians  anywhere, 
for  they  were  weary  of  the  cry  of  the  helpless  in 
the  deep  woods  and  thirsting  to  get  blood  for 
blood.  But  they  had  been  given  promise  of  all 
the  adventure  they  wanted  and  gone  to  sleep  as 
tired  men  will.  Only  Clark  lay  awake  and 
watched  the  river  and  listened  to  its  long  com- 
plaint. 

Two  days  were  spent  at  the  fort,  for  the  Colo- 
nel was  in  no  great  hurry.  Then  the  river  again, 
and  the  long  line  of  boats  and  the  deep  shadows 
of  the  forest  on  both  sides.  No  signs  of  towns 
and  cities  that  were  to  come  later,  when  settlers 
had  poured  into  this  region,  and  staked  their 
fortunes  upon  villages  wherever  a  landing  was 
favorable.  Little  did  Clark  and  his  men  think 
when  they  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Licking  River, 
where  the  old  Indian  trail  from  Detroit  crossed 
the  Ohio,  and  along  which  many  a  marauding 
band  had  made  a  foray  into  Kentucky,  that  one 
day  the  great  city  of  Cincinnati  would  be  built 
at  that  place.    Now  it  was  all  wilderness. 

Days  passed  on  the  river.    In  the  morning  the 


14  The  Trail  Blazers 

rising  sun  turned  the  water  into  a  crimson  tide, 
the  midday  found  it  glaring  with  light  tempered 
only  by  the  cool  green  of  the  dark  forests.  Eve- 
ning fell  soft  and  still,  the  sun  making  golden 
paths  into  the  West.  Night  found  the  boats 
drawn  upon  shore,  fires  built,  food  cooked, 
and  the  deep  sleep  of  the  healthy  and  weary. 
At  length  the  broad  expanse  of  the  Kentucky, 
which  was  pouring  its  waters  into  the  Ohio,  came 
into  view  and  a  longer  camp  was  made.  Then 
the  river  again,  and  on  and  on,  the  stream  ever 
widening,  the  men  ever  wondering  what  was  the 
mission  upon  which  they  were  bent,  and  the  Colo- 
nel ever  solicitous  about  the  women  and  the  chil- 
dren in  the  boats  at  the  end  of  the  line. 

Some  of  them  began  to  murmur  at  getting 
further  away  from  the  scenes  of  Indian  depreda- 
tions. "We  thought  we  were  to  land  somewhere 
on  these  shores  along  some  Indian  trail  and  wait 
for  a  band  of  savages  and  stop  them  on  their 
way  into  Kentucky,"  they  said  to  Clark  one  after- 
noon in  camp,  "We  have  been  twelve  days  from 
home  and  plenty  of  places  to  land  and  march 
into  Kentucky.  Tell  us  where  we  are  bound  and 
for  what?" 

"You  will  have  enough  chances  for  fighting, 
and  all  the  foes  you  wish  to  meet,"  replied  the 


Down  the  Ohio  15 

Colonel.  "Have  patience,  and  in  a  few  days  I 
will  tell  you  something  that  shall  stir  your  blood. " 

"We  will  all  forget  how  to  shoot  if  we  do  not 
keep  in  practice,"  said  a  hunter.  "I  have  not 
heard  a  gun  in  nearly  two  weeks,"  and  he  looked 
at  his  rifle  longingly. 

The  men  lay  on  the  ground  for  the  most  part, 
their  guns  always  loaded  and  ready  for  action 
near  each  hand.  They  were  too  wary  to  leave 
their  weapons  unprepared  for  use  at  immediate 
call.  Clark  glanced  at  them  and  saw  the  rest- 
lessness in  their  eyes.  Seizing  a  large  and  soft 
stone  which  was  near  his  feet,  he  threw  it  with 
all  his  might  into  the  air  and  cried,  "Shoot!" 

The  men  leaped  to  their  guns.  While  the 
stone  was  on  the  point  of  turning  for  its  descent 
a  dozen  rifles  blazed,  and  the  shattered  stone 
broke  into  particles  that  rained  like  hail  upon 
the  ground. 

"Good  shooting!"  said  the  Colonel.  "Pity 
there  were  no  savage  heads  for  you  to  put  your 
bullets  in." 

The  others  began  shooting  at  will.  One  hunter 
took  for  his  target  a  hawk  upon  the  top  limb  of 
a  tree,  and  shot  its  head  off.  Another  sank  a 
bobbing  chip  upon  the  waves  of  the  river.  An- 
other shot  into  an  owl  hole  in  a  tree  three  hun- 
dred feet  away,  and  remarked,  "I  wish  that  hole 


16  The  Trail  Blazers 

was  the  gun  hole  of  a  British  fort  and  behind  it 
was  the  eye  of  an  Indian." 

Finally  Clark  remarked,  "You  have  wasted 
enough  powder  and  it  will  be  precious  when  we 
face  our  real  enemies.  Clean  and  reload  your 
guns." 

Three  more  days  and  an  island  in  the  river 
came  in  view.  One  end  was  principally  rocks, 
but  the  lower  end  was  covered  with  trees  and 
cane.  When  the  boats  came  near  the  island  the 
men  could  see  sycamore  and  cottonwood  trees 
that  ranked  with  the  giant  growth  of  the  forest. 
Here  and  there  were  cane  brakes  from  which 
peeped  wild  flowers  of  the  brightest  colors.  The 
island  was  known  as  Corn  Island. 

Nowadays  the  beauty  of  the  island  has  gone. 
The  city  of  Louisville  stands  on  the  Kentucky 
side,  and  the  once  lovely  island  is  now  only  a  pile 
of  rocks  and  sand  that  one  sees  at  low  water. 

Clark  could  not  foresee  the  coming  of  the  big 
city,  for  at  that  time  there  was  not  even  a  settle- 
ment on  the  mainland.  Therefore  he  chose  the 
island  for  his  resting  place,  as  better  protection 
from  the  Indians.  He  also  considered  that  when 
he  told  his  men  what  expedition  he  had  in  his 
mind,  the  island  would  make  it  more  difficult  for 
any  of  them  to  escape  if  they  did  not  like  his 
enterprise. 


Down  the  Ohio  17 

Here  the  Colonel  and  his  men  made  their  camp. 
It  was  from  this  point  he  intended  to  set  out  on 
his  real  purpose,  and  it  was  his  intention  later  on 
to  tell  them  what  he  had  in  mind.  Rude  shelters 
were  built  out  of  wood  cut  from  the  island  and 
from  drift  wood  that  came  abundantly  down  the 
river,  the  first  cabins  being  made  for  the  men 
who  had  their  families  along  and  who  already 
were  clamoring  for  a  place  to  settle. 

In  a  few  days  a  body  of  troops  arrived  on  the 
island  and  threw  in  their  fortunes  with  Clark. 
They  were  men  who  had  come  in  from  Kentucky 
as  wild  and  free  as  those  who  had  come  down  the 
river.  Clark  looked  them  over  and  ordered  them 
to  camp  along  with  his  Virginians. 

After  a  few  days  he  called  all  the  men  to- 
gether. They  came  wondering  what  he  had  to 
say  to  them.  They  were  an  undisciplined  lot, 
knowing  nothing  of  military  movements  or  the 
art  of  warfare,  save  as  it  applied  to  Indians. 
They  could  march  through  the  forests  as  silent 
as  a  pack  of  wolves  trailing  a  deer,  but  they  could 
not  march  by  fours  in  company  order.  They 
came  at  the  Colonel's  command,  and  stood  around 
or  sat  on  the  ground  as  their  fancy  inclined  them. 

"Men,  I  have  brought  you  this  far  without  tell- 
ing you  much  of  what  was  in  my  mind.  Now  you 
must  know  what  things  I  have  for  you  to  do. 


18  The  Trail  Blazers 

We  are  going  to  fight  a  greater  enemy  than  In- 
dians, and  in  a  bigger  country  than  Kentucky 
itself,"  began  the  Colonel,  as  he  stood  before 
them. 

The  men  looked  at  him  wonderingly,  and  a 
few  stirred  uneasily.  Clark  continued,  "You 
know  a  war  is  going  on  between  these  colonies 
and  England,  and  this  country  is  fighting  for  its 
independence.  You  know  the  British  are  all 
over  Canada  and  that  Hamilton,  the  Lieutenant- 
Governor,  is  at  Detroit,  and  that  all  the  territory 
beyond  the  Ohio  is  in  the  hands  of  our  enemies. 
Who  is  it  that  excites  all  these  Indians  to  wage 
war  on  our  settlements,  burn  the  villages,  murder 
the  men,  and  carry  off  the  women  and  children? 
Who  is  it  that  furnishes  them  with  guns  and 
ammunition,  that  promises  them  many  presents, 
and  tells  them  many  falsehoods  about  the  people 
of  Kentucky?  Who  has  sent  his  soldiers  down 
into  this  territory,  and  built  forts  and  deluded 
the  French  settlers  into  making  common  cause 
with  England?" 

The  men  knew  who  was  in  the  mind  of  Clark, 
and  with  scowling  faces  and  memories  of  many 
tales  of  bleeding  scalps  being  borne  out  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  carried  to  Detroit,  they  spoke  as  with 
one  voice,  "The  Hair  Buyer." 

"I  do  not  know  whether  Hamilton  is  a  hair 


Down  the  Ohio  19 

buyer  or  not,"  continued  the  colonel.  "But  I  do 
know  that  he  sends  the  Indians  on  the  warpath, 
and  that  many  of  our  friends  and  some  of  our 
kindred  have  fallen  victims  to  their  cruelty. 
Men,  the  time  has  come  for  us  to  march  into 
yonder  territory,  and  let  the  Indians  know  the 
Long  Knives  have  also  long  memories,  and  a 
long  reach,  and  that  Kentucky  is  not  a  place  to 
gather  scalps." 

The  men  listened  with  thoughtful  faces.  It 
was  not  the  custom  of  those  born  on  the  frontier, 
and  bred  in  the  forest,  to  show  enthusiasm,  for 
life  had  been  solemn  with  them  from  the  begin- 
ning. 

Clark  slowly  took  a  paper  from  his  hunting 
shirt  and  read  them  the  instruction  he  had  re- 
ceived from  Governor  Patrick  Henry  of  Vir- 
ginia. "I  have  here  two  sets  of  papers,"  said  he. 
"One  set  is  for  the  public  eye  and  has  already 
been  told  to  you.  It  is  from  Governor  Henry 
and  authorizes  me  to  raise  troops  for  the  defence 
of  Kentucky.  That  is  what  you  have  all  thought 
you  were  enlisted  for,  and  that  is  the  reason  you 
have  been  clamoring  to  be  set  ashore  and  go  after 
the  marauders  upon  the  soil  of  yonder  state," 
and  Clark  waved  his  hand  toward  the  shores  of 
Kentucky.    Then  he  continued : 

"Over  there  and  northward  lies  the  real  pur- 


20  The  Trail  Blazers 

pose  of  my  expedition.  The  way  to  defend  Ken- 
tucky is  to  attack  the  British  in  their  own  terri- 
tory. Governor  Henry  has  given  me  this  other 
set  of  instructions,"  and  here  the  Colonel  held  the 
paper  up  before  the  men,  "authorizing  me  to  at- 
tack the  British  in  Kaskaskia,  and  to  give  all 
who  follow  me  a  bounty  in  land.  Now  men,  you 
know  what  is  in  my  mind  and  what  has  been  there 
for  many  months." 

The  men  were  quiet  with  astonishment  and 
looked  earnestly  at  the  eager  young  Colonel  as 
he  stood  before  them  glowing  with  enthusiasm. 

"We  shall  drop  down  the  Ohio  from  here,  land 
at  a  convenient  place  and  march  overland  to  the 
village  of  Kaskaskia,  capture  the  fort  there  and 
raise  the  American  flag.  Then  we  will  bid  de- 
fiance to  Hamilton  and  his  crowd,  and  save  all 
that  wonderful  country  for  the  United  States 
when  this  war  is  over." 

The  full  intent  of  the  great  enterprise  took 
hold  of  the  men.  They  were  from  Virginia,  most 
of  them,  and  fighting  blood  was  in  their  veins. 
One  by  one  they  looked  across  the  river  as  if  they 
could  see  far  off  to  Detroit  and  the  Lakes.  Then 
their  eyes  shone  with  the  same  light  they  had 
seen  in  the  eyes  of  their  Colonel,  and  a  great  yell 
arose  from  more  than  a  hundred  throats.  "We 
are  with  you,  Colonel.    The  Long  Knives  are  not 


asp      o- 

^  J 

JT  ^j^P    ^SflMli      tfcOy 

$                                    j^r'-".. 

ppy^N     ^^%d 

^&       *tf*         £      ■' 

-  3S  WmX 

-  _„,„,■  ,m ,e***a**~m**^****^                     f 

B**?'*      J5 

-' iliWlW—*! 

1    w 

. 

■ 

^^8 

.> 

■ 

Vv  .4 

A, 

Around  a  bend  appeared  a  smnll  boat,  then  another,  and  another. 


Down  the  Ohio  21 

many  in  number  but  every  man  will  count  for 
ten  when  led  by  such  a  man  as  you.  Lead  us  on 
to  Kaskaskia,  or  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

Some  of  the  men  were  much  disappointed. 
They  were  not  very  numerous,  however,  but  they 
were  those  who  had  left  their  families  to  go  after 
the  Indians  and  not  after  the  British.  They  bit- 
terly complained  to  their  Captain  that  they  had 
been  deceived  and  some  of  them  flatly  refused 
to  go  further.  "We  came  to  fight  Indians,  here 
in  Kentucky  and  not  the  British  in  the  northwest 
country.  While  Clark  is  away  off  in  Kaskaskia, 
or  heaven  knows  where,  the  savages  will  be  scalp- 
ing our  wives  or  killing  our  children,"  and  noth- 
ing the  Captain  said  to  them  could  persuade  them 
to  change  their  minds.  They  were  willing  to  de- 
fend Kentucky,  but  were  not  willing  to  march 
many  hundred  miles  into  British  territory. 

The  next  day  they  applied  to  Clark  for  per- 
mission to  return  to  their  homes.  The  Colonel 
declined  in  prompt  and  strong  language.  "The 
defence  of  Kentucky  need  not  be  on  Kentucky 
soil.  I  deem  it  to  be  on  British  soil.  No,  you 
cannot  return  to  your  homes.    You  go  with  me." 

The  men  left  with  sullen  faces.  Early  the 
next  morning  before  daylight  they  slipped  out 
of  camp,  swam  across  the  river  to  the  Kentucky 
side  and  disappeared  in  the  forest. 


22  The  Trail  Blazers 

When  Clark  found  that  they  had  deserted  him 
he  was  furious.  Calling  a  body  of  his  men  he 
ordered  them  to  go  at  once  in  pursuit  of  the  fugi- 
tives, "and  if  they  resist  you  shoot  them  down." 
The  Colonel  was  a  commander  who  would  not 
stand  disobedience,  and  who  loved  to  see  men 
take  any  risk  and  brave  any  danger. 

The  detachment  started  in  pursuit.  Crossing 
the  river  in  boats  they  found  the  trail  of  the  men, 
and  after  traveling  twenty  miles  overtook  the 
deserters.  Seeing  their  pursuers  upon  them  the 
men  scattered  in  the  woods,  hiding  in  the  thickets 
and  running  through  the  heavy  undergrowth  of 
the  forest.  Seven  were  captured,  and  since  they 
offered  no  resistance  were  put  under  guard  and 
carried  back  to  the  island.  The  others  made  good 
their  escape. 

For  days  the  escaped  fugitives  made  their  for- 
lorn way  until  they  came  to  the  little  settlement 
at  Harrodsburg.  When  they  reached  the  fort 
they  were  worn  and  ragged.  They  told  their 
story  outside  the  gate  and  the  people  listened 
with  indignation.  "We  are  on  our  way  back 
to  our  homes,  and  we  do  not  intend  to  go  with 
Clark  into  the  Northwest.  Let  the  others  go  if 
they  wish  to;  we  will  stay  here." 

The  commander  of  the  fort  shut  the  gate  in 
their  faces  and  would  not  let  them  in,  "You  are 


Down  the  Ohio  23 

cowards  and  deserters,  and  Clark  should  have 
captured  and  shot  every  one  of  you,  for  leaving 
him.  Now  begone  on  your  way,  for  this  fort  is 
for  brave  men  only.    You  do  not  belong  in  here." 

The  others  in  the  fort  agreed  to  what  the  com- 
mander said,  and  for  a  long  time  the  fort  was 
closed  to  the  fugitives.  At  last,  however,  they 
were  admitted  and  given  food  and  more  clothes, 
but  with  surly  faces.  In  a  few  days  they  com- 
mitted themselves  to  the  wilderness  trail,  suffer- 
ing great  hardships  and  privations,  until  they 
reached  their  homes. 

Clark  never  forgave  them  for  leaving  him, 
though  the  men  who  were  captured  and  brought 
back  did  make  good  soldiers  and  went  with  him 
on  his  expedition  to  Kaskaskia. 

While  Clark  was  getting  his  men  ready  for 
his  expedition  and  was  drilling  them  daily  in  the 
discipline  of  soldiers,  there  arrived  on  the  island 
a  boat  carrying  Captain  William  Linn  and  a 
few  soldiers.  Captain  Linn  brought  a  letter  to 
Colonel  Clark  telling  him  of  the  treaty  between 
the  United  States  and  France  in  which  that  coun- 
try agreed  to  help  the  United  States  in  their  war 
for  independence.  This  was  welcome  news  to 
Clark.  The  treaty  had  been  made  in  February 
and  Clark  had  not  heard  of  it  before  he  left  on 
his  voyage  down  the  Ohio. 


24  The  Trail  Blazers 

"This  means,"  said  he  to  Linn,  "that  the 
French  people  who  live  in  all  the  northwest  coun- 
try will  be  easily  changed  from  their  allegiance 
to  England  to  friendship  for  America.  They 
are  a  people  loyal  to  their  government  and  what- 
ever France  does  you  can  depend  upon  the 
French  in  America  agreeing  to." 

Daily  the  drilling  of  the  men  continued.  Clark 
knew  that  severe  and  hard  work  was  ahead  of 
him,  and  he  would  not  rest  until  every  man  was 
in  condition.  Of  the  Kentuckians  who  had  come 
from  the  interior  he  finally  selected  twenty  or 
more  to  add  to  his  Virginians.  The  men  still 
wore  their  hunting  shirts  and  leggings,  and  for 
shoes  there  was  still  nothing  better  than  leather 
moccasins.  But  from  an  undisciplined  lot  of 
hunters  there  emerged  in  a  month  a  body  of  well 
trained  soldiers  who  knew  all  the  rules  of  war 
and  were  ready  for  any  hardship  that  might  be 
put  upon  them  by  their  commander. 

The  families  that  had  come  down  with  his  boats 
were  all  provided  for.  Some  of  the  families 
settled  on  the  island  and  the  nearby  mainland, 
each  family  having  a  cabin  and  a  lot  of  ground 
around  it  for  a  garden.  Other  families  were  al- 
lowed to  go  into  neighboring  settlements  in  the 
interior  of  Kentucky  and  be  absorbed  in  the  ever 
increasing  population  of  the  frontier.     For  the 


Down  the  Ohio  25 

protection  of  those  on  the  island,  a  small  fort  was 
built  in  which  provisions  were  stored,  and  which 
could  be  used  for  protection  in  case  the  Indians 
made  an  attack  upon  the  settlement. 

Thus  it  was  in  pioneer  days  that  families 
braved  the  dangers  and  discomforts  of  the  wilder- 
ness, and  that  men  pushed  their  fortunes  further 
and  further  into  the  great  and  unknown  land 
that  was  always  towards  the  setting  sun. 


CHAPTER  II 

IN  THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY 

THE  time  had  come  for  Clark  and  his  men 
to  set  out  on  their  way  to  the  French  vil- 
lage of  Kaskaskia,  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Brit- 
ish. He  assembled  the  men  on  the  island,  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  including  the  officers, 
and  made  them  a  speech  on  the  enterprise  be- 
fore them,  and  asked  them  if  they  were  ready 
to  follow  him.  They  replied  with  shouts  of  eager- 
ness, for  the  spirit  of  the  adventure  had  at  last 
taken  hold  of  all  of  them. 

All  the  baggage  had  been  stored  in  the  fort 
which  Clark  had  built*  and  a  detachment  of  seven 
soldiers  was  left  to  guard  it.  Each  man  carried 
only  his  rifle  and  a  supply  of  ammunition,  to- 
gether with  a  knife  and  a  tomahawk,  and  pro- 
visions to  last  him  for  the  trip.  There  was  a  river 
voyage  and  a  long,  hard,  land  march  ahead,  and 
the  men  were  equipped  Indian  fashion. 

The  boats  floated  out  into  the  Ohio,  the  course 

being  up  the  river  for  a  mile  in  order  to  get  into 

the  main  channel.     There  they  lined  out  to  the 

26 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  27 

falls  of  the  river  which  were  a  short  distance  be- 
low the  island.  The  course  had  already  been 
made  known  to  the  Colonel  who  was  in  the  lead, 
and  before  an  hour  had  passed  the  boats,  one  by 
one,  were  being  tossed  in  the  rapids  of  the  Ohio. 
The  men  were  skilful  boatmen,  and  in  spite  of 
rocks  and  rushing  water  the  frail  crafts  were  kept 
safe  from  crashing  into  jutting  points  or  being 
overturned  in  the  swift  current. 

Now  a  strange  thing  happened.  The  sun  be- 
gan to  darken  and  before  the  rapids  were  half 
passed  the  light  had  almost  entirely  gone  out 
of  the  heavens.  It  was  a  total  eclipse  of  the  sun, 
which  Clark  had  not  known  of  and  which  terrified 
some  of  the  men. 

Clark  could  not  reassure  them  for  the  boats 
were  tossing  in  the  swift  current,  and  the  roar 
of  the  waters  made  it  impossible  for  them  to  hear 
him.  He  stood  up  in  his  boat  and  waved  his  hand 
and  shouted  reassuring  words  the  best  he  could. 
The  men  had  to  keep  on  for  the  current  bore 
them  downward.  If  any  were  frightened  there 
was  nothing  to  do  but  go  on.  It  took  all  their 
time  to  watch  the  river  and  to  use  the  paddles  to 
prevent  their  boats  from  getting  caught  in  the 
rocks  or  overturned  in  the  current. 

Soon  they  came  to  deep  water  and  the  boats 
lined  out  in  the  middle  of  the  stream.    Then  the 


28  The  Trail  Blazers 

eclipse  began  slowly  to  pass  and  before  long  the 
heavens  were  again  ablaze  with  the  glory  of  the 
midday  sun. 

They  spent  four  days  on  the  river  again,  with 
not  even  rest  at  night.  The  men  took  the  paddles 
by  turns,  changing  every  few  hours,  some  sleep- 
ing while  the  others  urged  the  boats  forward. 

"Are  you  going  down  to  the  Mississippi  and 
paddle  up  that  river  to  Kaskaskia?"  asked  one 
of  the  men  of  the  Colonel. 

"By  no  means,"  replied  Clark.  "The  British 
are  smart  enough  to  keep  spies  all  along  the  river, 
especially  along  the  Mississippi  and  if  those  spies 
should  see  so  many  boats  as  ours,  they  would 
carry  the  news  at  once  ahead  of  us.  Then  there 
could  be  no  surprise." 

"How  are  we  going  to  reach  Kaskaskia  then?" 

"We  are  going  to  land  somewhere  down  the 
river,  and  march  overland.  Through  the  woods, 
across  the  mountains,  and  over  the  plains,  and 
it  will  not  be  an  easy  march,  for  there  may  be 
Indians  in  the  way." 

The  man  was  silent  and  Clark  gave  no  more 
information.  Four  days  and  four  nights  passed 
and  the  great  mouth  of  the  Tennessee  river  came 
into  view.  Clark  knew  exactly  where  he  was  and 
decided  this  was  the  place  to  land  and  prepare 
for  his  march.    There  was  an  island  in  the  river, 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  29 

and  towards  it  he  directed  his  own  boat,  motion- 
ing for  the  others  to  follow.  The  men  were  glad 
to  be  ashore  again  for  they  had  not  left  the  boats 
in  four  days,  and  needed  to  lay  down  and  stretch 
their  limbs,  and  walk  about.  Only  a  sturdy  pio- 
neer could  stand  such  hardships  as  they  were 
called  upon  to  endure,  but  the  Colonel  knew  his 
men  and  they  knew  him. 

A  few  hours  after  landing  a  boat  appeared  in 
the  river  carrying  a  body  of  men,  going  in  the 
direction  from  which  Clark  had  come.  The  Colo- 
nel noticed  them  closely  and  saw  that  they  were 
hunters  and  were  bent  on  passing  the  island. 

"Ho  there!"  he  called,  in  loud  tones.  "Come, 
land,  and  tell  us  where  you  are  from  and  where 
you  are  going." 

The  hunters  looked  at  the  men  on  the  island 
with  some  distrust  and  started  to  turn  away. 
Clark  called  out  again: 

"You  needn't  be  afraid,  for  we  are  friends, 
and  you  needn't  try  to  get  away  for  we  can  over- 
take you.    Come  ashore." 

Seeing  that  it  was  useless  to  refuse  the  invita- 
tion the  hunters  paddled  their  boat  to  the  island 
and  landed.  Clark  greeted  them  in  a  friendly 
way  and  soon  discovered  that  they  were  Ameri- 
cans and  not  French  as  he  had  at  first  supposed. 
The  men  crowded  around  the  strangers  and  be- 


30  The  Trail  Blazers 

gan  to  ask  them  questions,  but  Clark  fearing  that 
the  information  might  not  be  what  he  wanted  his 
men  to  have,  he  ordered  the  hunters  to  follow 
him  to  one  side  that  he  might  question  them. 

"Who  are  you  and  to  what  country  do  you  be- 
long, for  I  must  first  know  whether  you  are 
friends  or  enemies?" 

"We  are  all  Americans  and  over  from  the 
states,  but  we  have  been  a  long  time  in  the  French 
country,"  was  the  reply. 

"Well  then,  you  had  better  take  an  oath  of 
allegiance  to  the  United  States  to  satisfy  me  that 
you  are  not  spies  and  in  the  interest  of  Hamilton, 
trying  to  find  out  our  strength  and  purpose  that 
you  might  tell  him." 

"We  are  not  spies,"  replied  the  hunters,  with 
some  degree  of  heat.  "Say  the  words  and  we 
will  swear." 

"Well  then,  hold  up  your  hands  and  repeat 
after  me  these  words."  The  men  held  up  their 
hands  and  the  Colonel  said: 

"We  do  swear  that  we  belong  to  the  United 
States,  and  not  to  the  British ;  that  we  are  friends 
of  this  country  and  owe  allegiance  to  the  Ameri- 
can flag ;  that  we  are  not  spies  and  are  not  in  the 
interest  of  Hamilton  and  his  men." 

The  men  repeated  the  words  after  the  Colonel, 
and  Clark  was  satisfied,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  31 

the  men  were  rough  enough  to  be  savages  them- 
selves. He  rather  suspected  that  they  were 
fonder  of  adventure  than  of  any  country,  and 
one  flag  was  as  good  as  another  to  them.  How- 
ever, he  saw  he  could  use  them  to  advantage,  and 
began  by  asking  them  where  they  came  from. 

"We  are  from  Kaskaskia  and  have  been  on  the 
river  for  eight  days.  We  are  hunters  and  after 
game.  We  were  not  bound  anywhere  partic- 
ularly, just  going  down  the  Mississippi  and  up 
the  Ohio — anywhere  we  like." 

"I  see,"  said  Clark.  "Then  perhaps  you  can 
tell  me  something  about  Kaskaskia  and  who  is 
in  command  there." 

"The  commander  is  a  Frenchman  named 
Rocheblave.  Nearly  all  the  people  are  French," 
said  the  leader  of  the  men. 

"Have  you  been  in  the  town  lately  and  do  you 
know  much  about  it?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  replied  the  man.  "We  have  been 
there  a  great  deal  and  know  all  about  it." 

"Then  tell  me  what  you  know,"  ordered  the 
Colonel. 

"Well,  there  is  a  fort  and  a  body  of  soldiers, 
though  I  do  not  know  how  many.  We  saw  them 
drilling  every  day  we  were  there.  It  looked  to 
us  as  if  they  were  getting  ready  for  an  attack  of 
some  sort." 


32  The  Trail  Blazers 

"Do  they  have  spies  on  the  river  and  scouts  in 
the  woods?" 

"They  have  spies  in  boats  along  the  Mississippi, 
for  they  expect  the  Americans  to  come  that  way 
to  attack  the  town.  They  do  not  have  any  scouts 
in  the  woods.  They  think  the  Indians  would 
give  the  alarm  of  any  troops  coming  overland 
from  Kentucky.  In  fact  the  Indians  and  the 
French  wood-rangers  have  been  ordered  to  be 
on  the  lookout  for  Americans.  At  least  that  is 
what  the  people  told  us." 

Another  one  of  the  hunters  spoke  up  and  told 
the  Colonel,  "They  tell  awful  tales  of  the  way 
the  Americans  treat  the  people  they  capture. 
They  say  they  are  worse  than  the  Indians,  that 
they  burn  the  men  with  hot  irons,  and  scalp  them, 
and  tie  them  up  in  trees,  and  torture  them,  and  do 
all  sorts  of  things  to  them.  As  for  the  women 
and  children  they  say  the  Americans  just  kill 
them  as  they  go,  without  mercy." 

"Do  they  say  all  that?"  said  Clark.  "Well,  I 
am  glad  to  hear  they  think  that  for  it  will  make 
them  all  the  more  afraid  of  us  when  we  get  there." 

"Are  you  bound  for  Kaskaskia?"  asked  the 
men,  in  surprise. 

"We  are,"  replied  Clark,  simply,  "and  now  that 
I  think  of  it,  you  may  as  well  go  along  with  us 
to  show  us  the  way.    But  we  shall  not  go  by  the 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  33 

river.  We  shall  go  by  the  land  and  I  think  this 
is  a  good  place  to  start  from." 

The  men  agreed  with  him  quickly,  for  they 
were  not  as  yet  sure  that  the  rumors  of  the 
ferocity  of  the  Americans  were  false  and  did  not 
feel  equal  to  any  opposition  to  the  desire  of  the 
young  man  standing  before  them. 

"Is  there  any  one  of  you  that  knows  the  way?" 
inquired  Clark.  The  hunters  conferred  together 
for  a  moment  and  finally  one  of  them  spoke  up. 
"I  know  the  way  better  than  any  of  the  others. 
My  name  is  Saunders.  I  have  been  over  the  trail 
once  or  twice  and  I  can  take  you  there,  but  it  is 
hard  going." 

"I  don't  mind  that,"  was  the  reply.  "How 
far  is  it  and  how  long  will  it  take?" 

"I  don't  know  how  far  it  is,  but  we  ought  to 
make  it  in  four  days." 

"Very  well.  Be  sure  you  tell  my  men  that  we 
can  get  there  without  any  trouble  and  that  we 
can  take  the  place  if  we  can  surprise  it,  and  no 
one  knows  of  our  coming,  and  also  that  the  peo- 
ple believe  that  we  are  worse  than  Indians.  If 
you  tell  them  we  cannot  capture  the  place  and 
ought  not  to  try,  I  will  do  all  the  things  to  you 
you  have  said  the  French  people  at  Kaskaskia 
believe  we  do." 

The  hunters  swore  to  tell  the  men  just  what 


34  The  Trail  Blazers 

Clark  told  them  to  say.  They  soon  were  gathered 
around  the  camp  fire,  where  the  men  were  cook- 
ing their  dinner.  The  hunters  told  the  men 
marvelous  tales  of  the  Northwest,  how  rich  it  was 
in  game,  how  easy  it  would  be  to  capture  the 
town  of  Kaskaskia,  and  how  frightened  the  peo- 
ple were  at  the  stories  they  had  heard. 

"They  call  all  Americans  the  Long  Knives,  be- 
cause they  can  shoot  to  kill  as  far  as  they  can  see, 
and  never  fail  to  scalp  an  enemy  no  matter  how 
long  it  takes  to  find  him,"  said  the  hunters,  with 
serious  faces. 

At  this  the  men  laughed  with  merriment.  They 
were  in  great  spirits  for  the  first  time,  for  they 
were  sure  of  success  and  saw  the  full  glory  of  the 
adventure  before  them. 

"We  are  Long  Knives  also,  and  the  longest  of 
the  knives.  We  are  from  Virginia  and  George 
Rogers  Clark  is  our  Colonel.  We  are  bound  for 
Kaskaskia  and  when  we  take  that  town  we  may 
march  to  Detroit  and  then  all  over  Canada,  if 
Clark  says  so." 

It  was  now  afternoon  and  the  Colonel  had  no 
idea  of  spending  the  night  on  the  island.  Order- 
ing his  men  into  their  boats  and  taking  the  hunt- 
ers along  with  him  he  directed  his  course  down 
the  river  about  ten  miles  and  ran  up  a  little  creek 
to  a  good  landing  place.    He  and  his  band  were 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  35 

now  on  Illinois  soil  and  the  trail  to  the  northwest 
country  was  before  him. 

One  mile  down  the  river  was  the  old  Fort 
Massac,  built  some  twenty  odd  years  before  by 
the  French  when  they  occupied  the  valley  of  the 
Ohio.  It  was  put  there  to  counteract  the  Ameri- 
can forts  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Tennessee, 
But  Fort  Massac  had  been  abandoned  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  and  was  almost  in  ruins.  Clark  did 
not  even  give  it  a  thought  as  he  prepared  for  his 
march  into  the  interior. 

Before  him  lay  a  march  of  more  than  a  hun- 
dred and  forty  miles,  but  he  did  not  know  that 
it  was  that  far.  The  country  was  full  of  Indians, 
but  for  the  most  part  the  tribes  who  lived  along 
the  route  were  not  unfriendly.  The  fear  was  that 
a  marauding  band  from  farther  north  would  dis- 
cover the  Long  Knives  and  give  them  trouble 
or  carry  word  of  their  approach.  But  Clark  and 
his  sturdy  followers  lay  down  on  the  banks  of 
the  creek  and  slept  peacefully  all  night,  not  even 
placing  a  sentry  to  keep  watch. 

In  the  morning  by  daybreak  the  men  were  up. 
Provisions  for  four  days  were  in  each  man's 
pack  but  they  were  scant  provisions  for  hungry 
men  and  a  long  march.  They  carried  only  their 
guns,  their  knives,  and  their  hatchets.  They  had 
no  tents,  no  camp  equipage,  no  change  of  cloth- 


36  The  Trail  Blazers 

ing.  It  was  now  the  latter  part  of  June,  the 
weather  was  hot,  the  road  was  heavy,  and  the 
men  were  in  a  hurry.  They  were  stripped  to  bare 
necessities  for  their  march,  but  they  started  cheer- 
fully and  with  hearts  bent  on  a  great  purpose. 

Clark  himself  marched  at  the  head  of  the  line, 
his  rifle  on  his  shoulder,  his  provisions  on  his 
back.  The  men  strung  out  behind  him  in  close 
order,  walking  as  quietly  as  possible,  and  speak- 
ing in  low  tones,  for  they  desired  to  keep  their 
presence  a  secret  so  far  as  possible.  Their  way 
lay  through  a  low,  flat  region,  intersected  by 
numerous  streams  and  abounding  in  ponds,  and 
covered  with  a  most  luxuriant  vegetation.  There 
was  no  trail,  for  the  old  Fort  Massac  trail  lead- 
ing to  Kaskaskia  had  long  since  been  abandoned 
and  in  some  places  had  entirely  disappeared.  The 
men  were  traveling  northwest  led  by  the  hunters 
who  had  joined  them,  who  for  the  most  part  had 
to  depend  upon  their  instinct  for  direction. 

The  first  night  was  spent  by  the  side  of  a  pond 
in  the  shelter  of  a  small  group  of  trees.  Clark 
forbade  the  men  to  build  a  fire,  knowing  the  light 
might  attract  any  prowling  band  of  savages  that 
would  be  near  and  that  they  might  sweep  down 
upon  them  in  greater  numbers  than  he  cared  to 
encounter.  The  men  ate  in  discomfort  and  settled 
down  for  the  night.     Sentries  had  been  posted 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  37 

who  relieved  one  another  every  few  hours.  It 
was  necessary  now  to  exercise  great  caution.  The 
night  passed  without  incident,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing the  men  resumed  their  march. 

The  going  was  hard.  The  men  had  to  wade 
through  ponds  and  marshes,  swim  creeks  and 
small  rivers  and  often  found  themselves  flounder- 
ing in  fields  of  mud.  The  tall  grass  cut  their 
hands  and  impeded  their  march.  The  heavy 
growth  of  weeds  tired  their  steps.  But  nothing 
daunted  the  courage  of  the  Long  Knives.  They 
pushed  steadily  forward,  a  brave  band  bent  on 
the  conquest  of  an  empire. 

The  second  day  passed  as  the  first.  The  men 
were  bearing  northward,  however,  and  were  get- 
ting gradually  out  of  the  low  swampy  country 
and  on  to  level  prairie  ground. 

The  morning  of  the  third  day  saw  the  men  on 
a  prairie,  open  and  wide  and  free,  and  almost 
devoid  of  trees.  They  could  be  seen  for  several 
miles  and  there  was  no  hiding  place.  The  guide 
insisted  that  the  only  way  to  go  was  by  this  route 
until  they  reached  the  hunters'  trail  through 
woods  further  on. 

As  Clark  looked  over  the  wild  level  country 
and  saw  the  rich  soil  under  his  feet,  his  prophetic 
eye  caught  the  vision  of  waving  fields  of  grain 
that  were  to  come  in  the  future,  of  villages  spring- 


38  The  Trail  Blazers 

ing  up  here  and  there  as  men  moved  westward. 
He  murmured  to  himself,  "Some  day  this  land 
will  be  full  of  people  and  this  soil  shall  help  to 
feed  the  world." 

As  it  was  then,  he  saw  only  matted  grass 
through  which  his  tired  men  were  pushing  their 
way,  every  step  made  heavy  by  the  luxuriant 
growth  from  the  rich  and  yielding  soil.  Over- 
head was  the  blue  sky,  all  around  was  the  air 
warm  with  the  breath  of  the  coming  summer- 
underneath  was  the  deep  green  of  the  prairie 
grass  brightened  by  the  hues  of  flowers. 

Clark  traveled  in  great  fear  of  being  discov- 
ered by  Indians  or  spies  of  the  British.  Calling 
Saunders,  the  guide,  to  him  he  asked  him,  "Is 
there  no  other  way  over  this  country  to  reach 
Kaskaskia  except  by  this  prairie?  Here  we  are 
in  the  wide  open  and  anybody  for  miles  around 
can  see  us.    Do  you  know  any  other  route?" 

The  guide  stoutly  declared  that  he  knew  no 
other  way  and  the  men  marched  on.  In  the  after- 
noon Clark  called  the  guide  again.  "Saunders, 
this  does  not  look  right  to  me.  I  believe  you  are 
leading  me  and  my  men  into  danger.  I  believe 
you  have  lost  your  way  or  else  you  are  a  traitor 
and  are  taking  us  into  a  trap." 

The  guide  was  frightened  at  the  stern  manner 
of  the  Colonel  and  began  to  tremble  with  con- 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  39 

fusion.  He  stammered  a  few  words  which  made 
Clark  suspicious  and  angry.  Then  the  Colonel 
blazed  forth. 

"Tell  me,  have  you  lost  the  way  or  not?  Did 
you  ever  know  it?  Where  are  you  leading  us? 
Speak  man,  or  I  shall  shoot  you  dead  where  you 
stand." 

The  guide  turned  pale  with  fear.  The  men 
who  had  gathered  around  called  out,  "He  is  a 
traitor,  give  him  to  us."  The  other  hunters  who 
had  been  with  him  tried  to  explain  and  to  pacify 
the  men.  The  guide  grew  more  and  more  con- 
fused and  began  to  give  different  answers  to  the 
same  questions.  Clark  was  never  more  angry 
in  all  his  life.  Here  he  was  on  a  prairie,  in  full 
view  for  miles,  with  Indians  probably  skulking  in 
the  far  forests  watching  him,  a  band  of  men  who 
had  put  their  faith  in  him,  and  a  guide  who  was 
ignorant  of  the  trail  or  else  a  villain. 

Turning  to  Saunders,  he  said  in  loud  and  angry 
tones,  "If  you  do  not  find  your  way  shortly  I 
shall  know  that  you  have  lied  to  me  and  are  not 
a  guide  but  a  scoundrel.  Tell  me  at  once,  do 
you  know  where  we  are  and  which  way  we  are 
going?" 

The  guide  was  overcome  with  fear  and  at  last 
confessed  to  the  Colonel  that  he  had  lost  the  way 
and  was  not  sure  of  the  direction.     "Give  me 


40  The  Trail  Blazers 

time  to  find  out,  and  let  me  look  around.  Per- 
haps I  may  recover  the  trail.  We  can't  be  very 
far  wrong,  anyway,"  said  the  fellow,  almost  ready 
to  fall  on  his  knees  before  the  angry  Colonel. 

Clark  had  calmed  down  somewhat,  and  spoke 
to  the  guide  in  a  slow  and  determined  manner. 
"I  shall  give  you  two  hours  to  find  the  way  you 
confess  you  have  lost.  If  you  do  not  pick  up  the 
trail  by  that  time  you  shall  be  shot.  You  can  go 
where  you  like  to  look  over  the  ground,  but  I 
shall  see  that  some  of  my  men  go  along  with 
you." 

The  guide  withdrew.  The  men  had  halted  on 
the  prairie  which  bore  no  trace  of  trail  or  mark 
of  direction.  They  knew  in  a  general  way  that 
Kaskaskia  was  to  the  northwest,  but  that  knowl- 
edge was  of  no  more  service  than  a  general  direc- 
tion would  be  to  a  vessel  at  sea.  Up  to  this  time 
the  guide  had  kept  to  what  appeared  a  certain 
knowledge  of  streams  and  land,  but  now  the  party 
was  lost  on  the  prairies  of  the  Northwest,  miles 
from  their  destination  and  their  only  hope  was  in 
this  guide.  Clark  would  probably  have  led  them 
another  way  had  not  this  fellow  been  so  sure  of 
the  direction. 

Saunders  begged  to  be  allowed  to  go  in  search 
of  a  road  which  he  thought  was  off  to  the  right 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  41 

somewhere.  Three  men  went  with  him  to  see 
that  he  did  not  try  to  escape. 

The  party  struck  across  the  prairie,  the  guide 
stopping  every  now  and  then  to  look  at  the 
ground  and  at  the  clumps  of  trees  that  broke  the 
monotony  of  the  landscape.  After  an  hour  of 
walking  and  watching,  Saunders  and  his  com- 
panions came  to  a  small  hill  that  rose  over  the 
plain  from  which  a  fairly  good  view  could  be  ob- 
tained. The  sun  was  half  way  in  the  heavens 
and  it  was  evidently  midday.  The  guide  stood 
up  with  his  back  to  the  sun  and  his  shadow  di- 
rectly in  front  of  him. 

"That  way  is  north,"  said  he,  pointing  along 
the  line  of  his  shadow.  "We  have  been  coming 
north  for  nearly  three  days  and  have  been  about 
fifty  miles.  Kaskaskia  should  lie  in  that  direc- 
tion." 

Saunders  saw  in  the  distance  a  tree  larger  than 
usual,  that  was  standing  alone  on  the  prairie,  and 
towards  that  tree  he  directed  his  party.  Upon 
approaching  it,  the  men  saw  signs  of  a  camp  fire 
though  the  ashes  were  old. 

"Somebody  has  been  along  this  path  before," 
remarked  one  of  the  men,  "and  they  were  not 
Indians  either,  for  an  Indian  always  buries  his 
fire." 

"Hunters  or  traders,  I  do  not  know  which," 


42  The  Trail  Blazers 

said  Saunders,  attentively  examining  the  tree  and 
the  dead  ashes.     After  awhile  he  remarked, 

"Traders  with  the  Indians,  I  should  say  and 
going  north." 

"How  do  you  know?" 

"If  they  were  going  to  the  tribes  to  trade  they 
would  have  heavy  packs  which  they  would  have 
hung  by  breaking  branches  on  the  tree.  There 
were  no  signs  of  broken  branches  anywhere. 
Therefore  the  packs  were  empty  and  used  for 
pillows.  The  traders  were  going  home,  and  those 
around  here  come  from  Kaskaskia  or  Vincennes. 
We  are  not  far  from  the  hunters'  trail.  Our 
way  lies  over  yonder." 

The  men  looked  carefully  at  the  horizon  and 
saw  a  rise  in  the  ground  covered  with  under- 
growth and  a  few  trees.  They  determined  to 
keep  their  eyes  on  that  landmark  and  use  it  for 
a  sign  of  direction  and  if  suitable,  for  a  place  to 
camp,  for  they  had  lost  some  time  with  the  guide 
already. 

Upon  returning  to  Clark  they  found  him  im- 
patient and  in  no  very  good  humor.  "Well,  what 
have  you  found,  and  are  you  ready  to  go  on,  or 
shall  I  do  as  I  threatened  if  you  have  lost  your 
way,"  he  demanded  of  the  guide. 

"The  way  is  not  lost.  I  was  bewildered  for 
awhile,  but  a  guide  is  never  completely  lost  so 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  43 

long  as  he  looks  at  the  sun  and  the  stars  and 
keeps  going  in  one  direction,"  was  the  reply. 

Clark  was  pacified,  and  according  to  his  nature 
dismissed  the  matter  from  his  mind,  believing 
now  that  the  guide  was  really  bewildered  and 
was  not  intending  the  party  any  harm. 

By  sundown  they  reached  the  hill  and  the 
clump  of  trees  and  there  the  party  camped  for 
the  night.  They  built  no  fires,  but  lay  down  on 
the  ground,  for  Clark  was  not  sure  whether  there 
were  Indians  in  the  way  or  not. 

The  end  of  the  fourth  day  found  them  out  of 
the  prairie  and  in  the  woods.  For  this  they  were 
thankful,  for  the  going  was  better  and  the  sun 
was  not  so  distressing.  Overhead  were  the  tall 
timbers  of  a  virgin  forest  that  some  day  were  to 
bring  riches  to  a  prosperous  people.  Under- 
neath was  a  soft  carpet  of  rotting  leaves  that 
made  the  soil  inexpressibly  fertile. 

"Tomorrow  we  should  be  in  sight  of  Kaskas- 
kia,"  said  he  to  Captain  Bowman,  in  charge  of 
one  of  his  companies. 

"It  would  be  well  for  us  to  get  there  early,  for 
by  tomorrow  morning  or  by  noon  at  furthest  our 
men  will  have  eaten  the  last  of  their  provisions, 
and  by  night  there  will  be  no  food,"  replied  the 
Captain. 

"The  guide  said  it  was  four  days'  march,  and 


44  The  Trail  Blazers 

we  have  already  gone  four  days.  We  should  be 
near  the  end  of  our  journey,"  remarked  the 
Colonel,  with  some  anxiety.  He  did  not  know 
that  he  was  yet  two  days  hard  traveling  from 
the  village  he  had  as  his  object. 

The  fifth  day  found  the  men  going  without 
food.  They  had  eaten  the  last  of  their  rations 
for  their  morning  meal  but  were  in  high  spirits 
thinking  they  would  feast  in  Kaskaskia  that 
night.  On  they  went,  crossing  streams,  wading 
through  swamps  of  underbrush  and  cutting  their 
way  through  bushes  and  briers  whenever  they 
came  to  such  obstructions. 

By  midday  they  struck  the  hunters'  trail  lead- 
ing to  the  settlements  of  the  French  in  the  in- 
terior. The  trail  was  dim,  and  in  some  places 
marked  only  by  a  blaze  on  the  trees  cut  with  a 
knife  or  burned  into  the  wood  by  a  hot  iron. 
Still  it  was  a  trail  and  was  leading  them  on  to 
their  destination.  And  so  the  day  passed,  the 
men  marching  in  silence,  Clark  still  in  the  lead 
with  his  rifle  on  his  shoulder,  and  Captain  Bow- 
man by  his  side. 

The  sixth  day  began,  the  men  were  more 
hungry  than  ever,  and  trying  to  content  them- 
selves with  what  berries  they  could  find  in  the 
bushes  by  the  trail.  Still  they  did  not  complain, 
for  they  were  not  of  the  sort  to  complain.    Men 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  45 

who  start  out  on  a  great  enterprise  must  endure 
hardship,  and  must  do  without.  It  was  no  holi- 
day excursion  and  no  pleasure  trip,  but  a  serious 
undertaking,  so  the  men  suffered  and  said  noth- 
ing. 

The  afternoon  of  the  sixth  day  came,  and  the 
men  emerged  from  the  forest  quietly,  and  with 
the  least  possible  noise.  Before  them  was  a  wide 
and  beautiful  river.  On  the  opposite  side  was  a 
village,  with  a  church  spire  rising  conspicuously 
in  view. 

Saunders  stood  by  Clark  and  said  in  low  tones, 
"That  is  Kaskaskia  where  I  promised  to  lead 
you." 

"Why  have  they  no  spies  or  scouts  in  all  these 
woods  and  along  these  trails  to  warn  the  com- 
mander? Does  he  not  fear  an  attack  from  the 
enemy?" 

"Yes,  but  he  does  not  look  for  them  from  these 
woods.  He  does  not  believe  any  force  of  men 
could  cross  this  country  in  such  size  as  to  give  him 
trouble.  He  has  plenty  of  boats  on  the  river  and 
his  spies  are  scattered  for  miles  along  the  Missis- 
sippi. It  is  well  you  did  not  take  your  men  by 
water." 

The  men  sat  down  in  the  shadows  of  the  forest 
hidden  from  view  of  those  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Kaskaskia  River.     A  little  way  up  stream  and 


46  The  Trail  Blazers 

on  the  same  side  as  Clark's  men  were  the  ruins 
of  an  old  fort  built  by  the  French  and  destroyed 
by  fire  twelve  years  before  Clark's  arrival.  It 
was  now  abandoned  and  only  the  remains  of 
charred  walls  could  be  seen.  Clark  paid  no 
attention  to  it,  for  he  knew  that  the  fort  that  held 
the  commanding  officer  was  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river. 

The  village  at  which  Clark  and  his  men  looked 
with  longing  eyes  was  not  a  very  large  one — prob- 
ably four  hundred  people  lived  there,  mostly 
French.  It  was  named  for  a  tribe  of  Indians 
that  lived  along  the  river,  the  most  considerable 
tribe  in  Illinois.  About  forty  years  before  the 
time  of  our  narrative  the  Jesuits  had  gotten  pos- 
session of  this  land  and  had  built  a  school  and 
church  where  the  village  was.  The  buildings 
were  of  stone  and  made  a  good  appearance.  But 
the  order  of  Jesuits  had  been  suppressed  and 
their  property  confiscated  by  the  French  govern- 
ment. So,  for  the  last  fifteen  years  the  stone 
school  building  had  become  a  fort,  named  Fort 
Gage  and  in  that  fort  lived  Colonel  Rocheblave 
and  his  men,  for  the  defence  of  the  town. 

The  fort  was  in  a  poor  condition.  The  roof 
leaked  badly  and  only  a  dilapidated  picket  fence 
offered  any  resistance  to  those  who  should  attack 
it.     In  the  village  there  were  two  French  com- 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  47 

panies  organized  and  drilled  and  ready  to  march 
at  a  moment's  notice.  There  were  more  soldiers 
than  Clark  had  but  they  were  not  fighting  for 
their  country,  and  while  all  the  Frenchmen  of 
the  western  frontier  had  knowledge  of  wood 
craft,  still  they  were  not  marksmen  such  as  the 
Long  Knives,  and  had  not  that  spirit  of  adven- 
ture that  burned  in  the  breasts  of  these  hardy 
sons  of  the  forest  and  trail. 

Darkness  drew  on  and  the  shadows  deepened. 
The  river  was  still.  The  lights  of  the  village  be- 
gan to  twinkle  through  the  evening  dusk,  and 
their  reflections  to  quiver  in  the  water.  Clark 
and  his  men  remained  quiet  until  it  was  quite  dark 
wondering  how  they  could  get  across  the  river 
and  into  the  town. 

The  men  were  famishing  with  hunger  and 
eagerly  thought  of  the  food  that  was  in  reach  if 
they  could  only  get  to  it.  As  they  sat  in  the 
gathering  gloom  the  low  growl  of  a  dog  greeted 
the  ears  of  Captain  Helm  in  charge  of  one  of  the 
companies  of  Clark's  men.  Helm  was  fond  of 
dogs  and  called  the  animal  to  him  by  a  gentle 
whistle  and  patted  him  on  the  head. 

"What  do  you  make  of  this,  Captain?"  asked 
one  of  his  men. 

Helm  thought  awhile,  and  replied,  "I  take  it 


48  The  Trail  Blazers 

to  mean  that  where  there  is  a  dog  there  is  a  man, 
and  also  a  house." 

Feeling  the  dog's  back,  he  continued,  "This  dog 
lives  on  this  side  of  the  river,  for  he  is  not  wet 
with  swimming,  and  he  is  too  fat  to  be  a  stray. 
I  think  his  home  is  not  far  from  here  and  that  it 
is  on  this  side  of  the  Kaskaskia." 

Captain  Helm  patted  the  dog  and  rose  to  find 
Clark.  The  dog  followed  him.  Reaching  the 
Colonel,  Helm  showed  him  the  animal  and  told 
him  what  he  thought  of  a  house  not  far  away. 

"Helm,  you  are  right,"  was  Clark's  quick  de- 
cision. "Do  you  take  the  lead  and  follow  the 
dog  and  the  rest  of  us  will  come  behind.  If  we 
find  a  house  we  may  find  food  and  we  may  find 
boats.  At  any  rate  we  cannot  swim  this  river 
and  capture  a  town  with  wet  clothes  and  wet 
powder.  We  must  have  boats  and  plenty  of 
them.', 

Helm  played  with  the  dog  and  made  friends 
with  him  while  the  men  rose  and  prepared  for  the 
march.  The  dog  ran  on  in  front  and  started  up 
the  river  along  a  little  path  that  ran  by  the  side 
of  the  woods.  The  Captain  followed  on  foot  as 
fast  as  he  could  and  called  him  every  now  and 
then  to  stop  so  that  the  men  could  keep  up.  It 
was  so  dark  by  now  that  it  was  hard  to  see  the 
dog  or  even  to  see  the  way  along  the  path. 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  49 

At  last  in  a  bend  of  the  river  and  almost  hidden 
by  the  sloping  banks  and  the  heavy  growth  there 
came  into  dim  view  a  house,  through  whose  win- 
dows there  gleamed  the  light  of  a  candle.  The 
dog  evidently  was  at  home  and  ran  forward  bark- 
ing, as  if  he  had  to  lead  his  new  friends  to  his 
house. 

Helm  pressed  on,  now  that  he  saw  the  house, 
with  the  hope  of  rinding  means  to  cross  the  river 
and  probably  a  little  food  for  their  men.  The 
dog  barked  at  the  door,  the  Captain  close  behind 
him.  The  door  was  cautiously  opened  about 
twelve  inches  and  a  man's  voice  speaking  in 
French  called  the  dog  to  come  in.  The  dog  ran 
in,  but  when  the  owner  of  the  house  tried  to  close 
the  door  he  found  himself  confronted  by  the 
burly  form  of  a  stranger  who  spoke  to  him  in 
English  with  words,  courteous  but  firm: 

"Not  so  fast,  my  friend.  I  and  a  few  others 
wish  to  speak  with  you,  and  it  is  better  to  leave 
the  door  open  than  it  is  to  have  us  break  it  down. 
You  are  one  family  and  we  are  many  men,  but 
we  will  do  you  no  harm." 

The  Frenchman  was  thoroughly  frightened. 
He  blurted  out  in  broken  English  a  few  words 
and  tried  to  close  the  door,  but  Helm  had  dropped 
a  rifle  barrel  on  the  jamb,  so  that  the  door  would 
not  close.     By  this  time  Clark  and  a  few  others 


50  The  Trail  Blazers 

had  arrived,  while  most  of  the  men  had  gone  down 
to  the  river  side  to  see  if  they  could  discover  any 
boats.  Clark  promptly  pushed  the  door  open 
and  strode  in  accompanied  by  Helm  and  a  half 
dozen  men. 

Once  inside  they  saw  a  room,  in  the  center  of 
which  was  a  table  with  a  single  candle  on  it. 
Evidently  the  family  had  taken  their  evening 
meal  for  the  plates  were  still  there,  and  the  dog 
was  now  eagerly  devouring  what  scraps  had  been 
set  aside  for  him.  To  one  side  sat  a  woman  in 
whose  face  was  depicted  terror  of  the  ferocious 
appearance  of  Clark  and  his  men.  Around  her 
clung  three  or  four  frightened  children.  The 
appearance  of  Clark  and  Helm  and  the  frontiers- 
men with  them  was  enough  to  frighten  any  one. 
For  six  days  they  had  marched  through  a  wilder- 
ness, their  clothes  were  torn,  their  hair  was 
matted.  They  were  tired  and  hungry.  By  the 
light  of  day  they  would  have  looked  ferocious. 
What  must  have  been  their  aspect  when  a  dim 
candle  threw  their  faces  into  uncertain  relief  and 
their  great  shadows  on  the  walls? 

"Who  are  you,  and  what  do  you  want?"  asked 
the  Frenchman. 

"We  are  Americans  and  we  have  come  to  take 
Kaskaskia,"  was  the  reply. 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  51 

The  Frenchman  looked  at  them  with  astonished 
and  fearful  eyes. 

"How  did  you  get  here,  and  how  many  are 
you?"  he  gasped. 

"We  marched  here  from  Ohio  and  there  are 
plenty  of  others  in  the  yard.  Do  you  know 
what  they  call  us  in  this  territory?" 

"The  Long  Knives !  The  Long  Knives !"  said 
the  man,  almost  in  a  whisper,  and  turned  to  grasp 
some  weapon  to  defend  his  family  from  what  he 
thought  was  instant  and  cruel  death.  He  would 
rather  have  seen  painted  savages  in  his  house  than 
the  dreaded  Americans  of  whose  cruelty  he  had 
heard  such  fearful  stories. 

"Yes,  we  are  the  Long  Knives,  but  you  need 
not  fear  us  so  long  as  you  tell  us  the  truth  and  do 
as  I  bid  you." 

The  men  sat  down  and  Clark,  seeing  the  fire- 
place full  of  brush,  ordered  one  of  his  men  to  light 
it.  Soon  a  fire  was  blazing  and  the  room  was 
lighted  sufficiently  for  the  men  to  see  that  after 
all  they  had  not  come  upon  a  destitute  family, 
but  rather  a  fairly  well  to  do  farmer. 

"Now,  sir,"  began  Clark,  as  he  sat  down  and 
motioned  the  farmer  to  do  likewise.  "Tell  me  if 
you  have  any  boats  at  your  landing  and  how 
many,  for  I  have  a  lot  of  men  that  I  intend  to 
carry  across  the  river." 


52  The  Trail  Blazers 

The  farmer  replied  in  broken  English  which 
we  will  not  attempt  to  imitate.  What  he  tried 
to  say  to  Clark  was : 

"I  have  a  number  of  boats,  some  large  and 
some  small.  They  are  all  at  the  landing  down 
by  the  river.  Sometimes  I  act  as  ferryman  for 
parties  who  wish  to  cross  here.  But,  sir,  you 
have  not  told  me  your  name  and  what  you  will 
do  with  the  people  of  Kaskaskia." 

"Never  mind  what  I  shall  do.  It  will  be  time 
enough  to  decide  that  question  when  I  am  across 
the  river  and  in  possession  of  the  town." 

"Surely  you  will  not  murder  me  and  my  fam- 
ily, and  kill  all  the  people  in  the  village.  I  have 
heard  that  The  Long  Knives  are  worse  than  the 
Indians." 

"I  have  never  murdered  anybody  yet,  nor  has 
any  of  my  men.  We  have  taken  a  few  savages 
every  now  and  then,  but  no  white  men  and  no 
women." 

"We  heard  differently,"  said  the  farmer,  still 
in  doubt. 

"Tell  me  if  the  people  of  Kaskaskia  know  any- 
thing of  our  approach,"  demanded  the  Colonel. 

"I  was  in  the  village  this  morning,  and  saw  the 
French  companies  drilling,  but  I  did  not  hear 
that  an  enemy  was  nearby." 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  53 

"Did  no  one  bring  word  that  The  Long  Knives 
were  on  the  march?" 

"I  did  hear  that  a  hunter  came  into  the  town 
about  two  weeks  ago  and  said  that  he  saw  an 
Indian  who  told  him  that  many  boat-loads  of 
white  men  were  coming  down  the  Ohio.  But  the 
Commander  thought  they  were  going  into  the 
Kentucky  settlements." 

"That  may  have  been  the  Indian  we  saw  on 
the  river,"  said  Clark.  After  a  moment  he  in- 
quired : 

"Are  there  many  people  in  Kaskaskia  now?" 

"Yes,  this  is  the  time  of  the  year  when  the 
people  are  at  their  homes  in  the  village.  In  fact 
they  have  a  dance  in  the  big  hall  there  nearly 
every  night.  I  was  at  the  hall  last  night.  Some 
of  the  soldiers  go  to  the  dance.  They  are  hav- 
ing a  good  time,  and  have  no  idea  that  American 
soldiers  are  within  a  hundred  miles  of  them." 

"How  about  the  Indians?"  asked  Helm,  for 
he  wanted  to  know  what  enemies  he  would  have 
to  face. 

"Last  week  there  was  a  big  pow-wow  and  a  lot 
of  Shawanees  rode  into  the  village.  The  Com- 
mander gave  them  presents  and  made  them  a 
speech,  and  sent  them  off.  Nearly  all  have  gone 
by  now.     There  may  be  a  few  left." 

"Did  you  hear  that  Hamilton  at  Detroit  offers 


54  The  Trail  Blazers 

to  pay  for  the  scalps  of  white  men,  and  buys  them 
from  the  Indians,  and  that  he  is  called  the  'Hair 
Buyer'?" 

"Yes,  I  have  heard  that,  but  I  did  not  hear  that 
our  Commander  said  anything  about  it  to  the 
Indians." 

"Is  the  Commander  named  Rocheblave?" 

"Yes,  that  is  his  name.  He  lives  with  his  wife 
in  the  fort." 

"How  many  has  he  in  his  fort?" 

"Not  many.  I  understand  not  more  than 
twenty.  They  told  me  the  fort  itself  is  in  bad 
condition,  and  that  Rocheblave  has  asked  for  it 
to  be  repaired  and  for  more  troops  to  be  sent  out 
here.  But  so  far  nothing  has  been  done  and 
there  are  only  two  companies  of  soldiers." 

All  the  conversation  was  conducted  with  infi- 
nite pains  and  much  repetition,  for  the  French- 
man knew  very  little  English  and  Clark  knew 
very  little,  if  any,  French.  Still  they  understood 
each  other. 

There  was  no  more  to  be  gained  from  the 
farmer,  and  Clark  left  him  and  his  family  and 
went  down  to  the  landing  where  the  men  were 
waiting  for  him.  He  saw  there  were  a  number 
of  flat-bottomed  boats,  but  by  no  means  enough 
to  carry  over  his  entire  party  at  one  trip.  He 
ordered  Captain  Helm  to  take  his  men  over  in 


In  the  Northwest  Territory  55 

the  first  boat  and  send  the  boats  back  for  the 
others.  In  this  way  he  expected  to  get  all  the 
men  over  in  a  short  time. 

The  night  was  dark,  the  river  was  free  of  boats, 
and  the  men  moved  quickly  and  silently.  They 
knew  that  dividing  the  force  was  dangerous  if 
they  were  discovered,  for  those  left  behind  could 
not  aid  those  who  had  reached  the  other  side. 
Helm  got  his  company  of  fifty  or  sixty  men  in  the 
largest  boats  and  they  bent  to  the  oars  without 
making  the  least  sound.  The  river  was  not  wide, 
nor  was  the  current  strong.  The  men  were  ac- 
customed to  water  and  boats  and  in  a  short  while 
Helm  had  his  division  across  and  safely  landed 
on  the  village  side  some  distance  above  the  village 
itself. 

Once  landed  the  men  crouched  close  to  the  bank 
and  kept  silent,  waiting  for  the  others.  Two  men 
took  each  boat  back  and  another  load  was  brought 
over.  Bowman's  company  was  next  and  finally 
the  division  under  Captain  Harrod.  Clark  went 
over  with  the  last  of  the  men,  after  giving  a  part- 
ing word  to  the  farmer  not  to  give  the  slightest 
alarm  under  penalty  of  death.  To  insure  this 
he  left  two  men  as  a  guard  with  instructions  for 
them  to  come  over  to  the  village  in  the  morning 
for  by  that  time  he  expected  to  have  the  village 
in  his  power.  In  this  way  the  whole  force  reached 


56 


The  Trail  Blazers 


the  village  side  of  the  river  without  being  dis- 
covered. 

Clark  went  among  the  men  as  they  crouched 
upon  the  banks  above  the  village  and  hidden  by 
the  bushes,  and  told  them  they  had  come  to  the 
end  of  their  march  and  that  upon  their  courage 
depended  their  lives  and  the  success  of  the  expe- 
dition. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  CAPTURE  OF  KASKASKIA 

COLONEL  Clark  and  his  little  army  were 
now  on  the  Kaskaskia  side  of  the  river. 
They  were  concealed  by  the  undergrowth  along 
the  banks,  their  presence  was  unsuspected,  and 
the  village  which  lay  a  short  distance  down  the 
river  was  preparing  to  give  itself  over  to  the 
festivities  that  generally  ended  the  day  in  French 
settlements.  Clark  looked  his  men  over,  and 
saw  that  all  were  there  and  in  good  order  in 
spite  of  their  hunger  and  weariness. 

He  decided  to  let  the  men  rest  awhile,  and 
went  with  Bowman  and  Harrod  to  reconnoitre 
the  path  down  the  river.  The  night  was  dark 
and  the  way  was  unfamiliar.  The  lights  of  the 
village  shone  faintly  before  them  and  the  path 
became  more  and  more  open.  It  was  quite  evi- 
dent that  the  approach  to  the  place  was  before 
them  and  all  that  was  necessary  was  to  get  the 
men  together  and  begin  the  march. 

As  the  three  turned  to  retrace  their  way  they 
heard  the  footsteps  of  a  man  behind  them  going 

57 


58  The  Trail  Blazers 

in  the  direction  of  Kaskaskia.  Clark  and  his 
party  stood  still  and  let  the  man  come  on.  When 
he  was  in  a  few  paces  of  them  Clark  confronted 
him  with  the  order  to  halt.  The  man  in  great 
astonishment  stopped  and  dropped  a  bag  which 
he  held  in  his  hand. 

"Who  are  you  and  where  are  you  going?" 
demanded  the  Colonel. 

The  man  could  not  see  in  the  darkness  who  was 
before  him  and  how  many.  He  broke  into  a 
mixture  of  French  and  English  which  Clark 
could  scarcely  understand.  The  man  was  evi- 
dently frightened,  and  begged  to  be  allowed  to 
go  on  his  way. 

"Where  do  you  come  from?"  asked  Clark. 

"Kaskaskia  yonder,"  was  the  reply,  in  broken 
English. 

"What  are  you  doing  here  and  what  is  in  that 
bag?" 

"I'm  a  hunter.  This  bag  has  birds  and  rab- 
bits for  my  family." 

Bowman  picked  up  the  bag  and  emptied  its 
contents  on  the  ground;  feeling  for  the  game 
with  his  hands,  he  remarked, 

"What  he  says  is  true.  I  wish  it  were  cooked 
and  that  we  might  eat  it,  for  I  am  hungry  enough 
to  eat  the  hunter  himself." 

The  Frenchman,  for  he  was  of  that  nation, 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  59 

did  not  understand  the  humor  of  Bowman's 
words  and  took  him  literally.  Throwing  down 
his  gun  he  held  up  his  hands  and  broke  into  a 
loud  cry  of  terror. 

"Shut  up,  you  fool,"  said  Clark,  grasping  him 
by  the  throat.  "Do  you  want  to  bring  the  town 
out  here?  We  are  not  going  to  eat  you  nor 
hurt  you  if  you  do  as  I  say.  We  are  the  Long 
Knives,  and  if  you  make  another  sound  I  shall 
stick  my  knife  in  you  and  drop  your  body  in  the 
river." 

The  hunter  clapped  his  hands  over  his  mouth 
to  smother  an  exclamation.  He  had  heard  of  the 
Long  Knives  and  believed  in  their  cruelty.  How 
in  the  world  he  had  fallen  into  their  hands  he 
did  not  take  time  to  question.  He  was  ready 
and  willing  to  do  the  bidding  of  the  three  men 
who  stood  before  him  in  such  a  menacing  manner. 

"Pick  up  your  gun  and  come  with  me,"  ordered 
Clark. 

The  man  obeyed  and  the  three  returned  to  the 
place  where  the  others  were  still  awaiting  orders. 
On  the  way  Clark,  Bowman  and  Harrod  ques- 
tioned the  hunter  closely  about  the  town  and  the 
fort  and  gathered  information  from  him  that 
helped  the  leader  in  maturing  their  plans. 

On  reaching  the  main  body,  Clark  ordered 
the  men  to  rise  and  fall  in  according  to  com- 


60  The  Trail  Blazers 

panies.  He  then  gave  directions  that  the  two 
companies  under  Captain  Harrod  and  Captain 
Helm  should  surround  the  town  and  see  that  no 
one  of  the  inhabitants  escaped.  He  then  ordered 
the  company  of  Captain  Bowman  to  go  with  him 
to  capture  Fort  Gage,  in  which  was  the 
Commander,  Rocheblave,  and  a  small  detach- 
ment of  soldiers.  The  captured  hunter  was 
taken  along  as  a  guide. 

It  was  now  nearly  midnight.  The  men  were 
ordered  forward  and  the  march  toward  the  vil- 
lage was  begun  silently  and  in  perfect  order. 

The  village  itself  was  compactly  built,  the  few 
streets  running  crosswise  to  one  another,  the 
houses  hardly  more  than  cabins,  and  the  heavy 
forest  growth  reaching  up  to  the  town  itself. 
It  did  not  take  long  for  the  two  companies  under 
Harrod  and  Helm  to  dispose  of  themselves  along 
the  ends  of  the  streets  and  in  the  woods  in  such 
a  way  that  the  town  itself  was  under  the  eyes  of 
the  men,  and  the  size  of  their  force  could  not  be 
discovered. 

All  the  houses  were  dark,  the  inhabitants  being 
either  asleep  or  gathered  in  the  large  guard  hall 
of  the  fort,  which  was  the  place  where  the  people 
assembled  for  their  merry-making.  The  only 
lights  that  any  one  could  see  were  in  the  fort 
itself  and  in  the  hall  from  which  there  came  the 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  61 

sound  of  music  and  dancing.  Evidently  the 
people  slept  or  made  merry  in  utter  uncon- 
sciousness that  their  town  was  surrounded  by  an 
enemy  and  that  the  fort  itself  was  in  danger. 

Waiting  until  he  was  sure  that  the  companies 
had  time  to  silently  surround  the  town,  Clark  and 
Bowman  took  up  their  own  march  toward  the 
fort. 

Turning  toward  the  captured  guide,  Clark  de- 
manded, "Where  is  the  rear  gate  of  this  fort,  and 
is  it  the  weakest  one?" 

The  guide  replied  promptly,  "The  postern 
gate  is  on  the  river  side.  I  do  not  know  anything 
else." 

Avoiding  the  front  of  the  fort  and  the  guard 
hall  which  he  saw  was  filled  with  people,  Clark 
directed  his  men  around  to  the  rear  and  in  the 
shadows  of  trees  that  grew  along  the  banks  of  the 
river.  Reaching  the  point  designated  by  the 
guide  he  ordered  the  company  to  halt.  Calling 
Bowman  and  about  twenty  men  to  one  side,  as 
well  as  an  old  hunter  and  scout  who  had  been 
with  him  on  the  march,  by  the  name  of  Simon 
Kenton,  he  quietly  gave  orders. 

"Bowman,  I  want  you  and  Kenton  and  these 
men  to  go  with  me  to  attack  the  gate  and  seize 
the  fort.  The  others  can  wait  outside  in  case 
any  soldiers  from  the  town  hear  us." 


62  The  Trail  Blazers 

The  men  fell  back  and  Clark  and  his  party 
approached  the  gate.  Hardly  had  they  stepped 
outside  the  shadows  and  started  on  their  way  to 
the  gate  when  a  sentry  accosted  them.  "Who 
goes  there?" 

"We  are  friends,"  replied  Kenton  quickly 
aloud,  "and  would  like  to  have  a  word  with  you." 

Before  the  sentry  could  reply,  Kenton  leaped 
forward  and  bore  him  to  the  ground.  The  sen- 
try's gun  fell  undischarged,  and  the  strong  grip 
of  the  scout  had  him  by  the  throat. 

"Hist,  now,  and  be  still.  It's  Simon  Kenton 
that's  got  you  by  the  throat,  and  if  you  make  a 
sound  I'll  choke  you  to  death." 

The  scout  relaxed  his  grip  but  still  held  the 
sentry  at  his  mercy.  The  man  was  taken  so  com- 
pletely by  surprise  that  he  made  no  movement 
and  uttered  no  sound.  Holding  his  hand  at  the 
sentry's  throat  and  with  the  other  grasping  him 
by  the  hand,  he  demanded  in  a  whisper: 

"Where's  the  Commander  of  this  fort  and 
what's  he  doing  now?" 

The  sentry  could  speak  some  English,  as  nearly 
all  the  French  could,  and  replied,  "The  Governor 
is  asleep  in  his  own  room.  His  wife  is  with  him. 
What  do  you  want  to  know  for?" 

"That's  our  business,"  replied  Kenton.  "You 
had  best  keep  still  or  I'll  fix  you  so  that  you  will 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  63 

always  be  still."  The  sentry  caught  his  meaning 
easily  and  shivered  when  he  felt  the  great  muscles 
of  the  scout's  hand  around  his  neck. 

The  sentry  willingly  pointed  out  the  room  of 
the  Commander,  or  Governor  as  he  was  often 
called,  which  was  in  darkness.  Clark  and  the 
others  looked  at  it  from  beyond  the  gate  and  saw 
that  it  was  at  the  other  end  of  the  long,  low,  stone 
building  from  the  hall  where  there  was  a  light 
and  the  noise  of  music. 

"Take  this  sentry  back  to  the  men  yonder  and 
tell  them  to  guard  him  well,  along  with  that 
hunter  we  captured.  If  they  get  away  and 
make  an  alarm,  it  might  go  very  ill  with  us." 

Several  of  the  men  took  the  sentry  back  to  the 
company  stationed  on  the  river  bank  and  gave 
them  the  orders  of  the  Colonel.  They  then  re- 
turned to  their  places  where  Clark  and  the  others 
were  examining  the  gate. 

"If  we  beat  it  down  we  will  make  too  much 
noise  and  some  of  the  soldiers  will  arouse  the 
Governor.  We  want  to  capture  him  before  he 
can  give  any  orders,"  said  Bowman. 

Kenton  examined  the  gate  in  the  darkness  the 
best  he  could  and  pushing  his  hand  through  a 
crack  in  the  broken  wood  discovered  it  was  held 
by  a  chain  that  he  could  not  loosen  from  its  fas- 
tening. 


64  The  Trail  Blazers 

"Here,  you  young  fellow,"  said  he,  turning  to 
a  small  but  wiry  young  soldier  who  was  still  a 
mere  boy.  "Come  here,  and  let  me  heave  you 
over  the  gate.  You  can  unhook  it  from  the 
inside.     Come  now,  let  me  give  you  a  lift." 

The  boy  came  forward  briskly.  He  was 
young,  strong,  and  brave.  The  scout  took  him 
on  his  shoulders,  then  lifted  him  to  the  top  of 
the  gate,  from  where  he  dropped  light  as  a  cat 
to  the  other  side.  In  a  few  minutes  the  chain 
was  unhooked  from  its  place  and  fell  to  the 
ground,  and  those  outside  pushed  the  gate  open. 
Clark,  Bowman,  Kenton  and  the  others  came  in 
quietly,  stopping  a  moment  to  find  out  if  any 
noise  they  had  made  had  excited  any  surprise. 

All  was  still,  the  fort  was  dark,  and  no  soldiers 
or  sentries  were  in  sight.  From  the  gate  to  the 
door  of  the  fort  was  but  a  few  rods  and  these  the 
men  quickly  passed  over.  The  door  of  the  fort 
was  open.  There  were  no  sentries  on  guard.  It 
was  evident  that  the  soldiers  of  the  fort  were 
asleep  or  else  were  attending  the  dance  going  on 
in  the  guard  hall.  The  progress  of  Clark  and  his 
men  was  not  impeded.  There  was  a  dim  light 
burning  in  the  entry,  hardly  enough  to  light  one's 
way,  but  it  was  enough  to  show  the  direction  to 
the  door  of  the  sleeping  apartment  set  aside  for 


The  Capture  of  Kashaskia  65 

the  Governor  and  his  family.  Kenton  was  in  the 
lead,  the  others  close  behind  him. 

Reaching  the  door  which  they  were  sure  was 
the  one  occupied  by  Rocheblave,  Kenton  pushed 
against  it.  It  opened  without  resistance  and  the 
scout  entered  followed  by  Clark  and  Bowman  and 
a  few  of  the  others.  So  softly  had  the  party 
entered  the  apartment  that  neither  the  Com- 
mander nor  his  wife  were  aroused.  They  were 
sleeping  quietly  side  by  side,  the  room  lighted 
dimly  in  the  same  way  as  the  entry  through 
which  the  men  had  come. 

The  scout  stepped  forward  and  touched  the 
sleeping  Governor  on  the  shoulder.  He  awoke 
with  a  start  and  sat  up  in  his  bed.  Before  him 
were  a  half  dozen  rough  men,  ragged  and  worn 
with  marching,  faces  heavily  bearded  and  hair 
grown  long  after  an  absence  of  many  weeks  from 
civilization.  In  the  faint  light  they  were  enough 
to  frighten  a  braver  heart  than  that  of  the  French 
Commander.  He  knew  they  were  not  his  sol- 
diers, nor  were  they  Indians,  nor  did  they  belong 
to  the  people  of  Kaskaskia.  In  the  bewilder- 
ment of  sudden  awaking  from  sleep  he  called 
out: 

"What  does  this  mean  and  who  are  you?" 

At  the  same  instant  his  wife  awoke  and  was 
about  to  scream  at  the  sight  which  met  her  eyes. 


66  The  Trail  Blazers 

She  thought  they  both  would  be  murdered  in 
their  beds.  But  a  soldier  grabbed  her  by  the 
shoulder  and  put  his  hand  over  her  mouth. 
"Hush,  woman,  or  I  shall  have  to  choke  you. 
Hold  your  peace,  if  you  value  your  life."  The 
woman  kept  still,  but  looked  on  with  terror  in 
her  eyes. 

Kenton  was  the  first  to  speak.  Disregarding 
the  woman  he  turned  to  the  officer.  "We  are 
Virginians,  sometimes  called  Long  Knives,  and 
you  are  our  prisoners,"  said  he,  quietly. 

Rocheblave  leaped  out  of  bed  at  these  words 
and  confronted  Clark,  who  stepped  forward  to 
meet  him,  his  fur  cap  in  his  hand.  Making  a  bow 
Clark  said,  "Sir,  I  am  George  Rogers  Clark,  a 
Colonel  in  the  service  of  Virginia  and  the  Conti- 
nental Army.  My  men  are  outside  the  fort  and 
have  surrounded  your  town.  I  demand  an  in- 
stant and  unconditional  surrender  of  Kaskaskia, 
this  fort,  and  all  the  people." 

"Never!  Never!"  cried  the  distressed  Com- 
mander. "You  are  not  from  Virginia.  You  are 
robbers  and  thieves.  I  shall  not  surrender  to 
such  a  crew  as  you.     Call  the  guard." 

Bowman  had  closed  the  door,  and  stationed  a 
heavy  guard  outside  in  case  any  soldier  should 
appear.  The  noise  of  the  merry-making  in  the 
guard   hall    was    loud    enough    to    drown    any 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  67 

sounds  that  had  been  made  in  the  Commander's 
room.     Clark  spoke  as  quietly  as  before : 

"We  are  from  Virginia,  and  are  what  you  call 
Long  Knives.  We  have  marched  overland  to 
this  place  and  have  eluded  all  your  spies  and  es- 
caped your  Indian  allies.  We  have  enough 
men  to  compel  your  surrender.  Unless  you  sur- 
render at  once,  yourself,  we  shall  treat  you  as  an 
enemy,  tie  you  hand  and  foot,  and  take  you  out 
of  this  fort  and  give  you  to  our  men  as  a  prisoner 
of  war.  We  shall  otherwise  do  you  no  harm  for 
we  are  not  savages.  If  you  surrender  now,  we 
will  take  your  parole  and  let  you  remain  here." 

"Clark!  Clark!"  repeated  Rocheblave.  "I 
never  heard  of  George  Rogers  Clark.  You  are 
but  a  boy.  I  have  heard  of  other  Americans 
but  not  of  you.  By  what  right  do  you  demand 
my  surrender?" 

"In  the  name  of  Patrick  Henry,  governor  of 
Virginia,  and  the  Continental  Army.  But  we 
are  wasting  time.  Decide  now,  or  I  shall  decide 
for  you,"  replied  the  Colonel,  in  firm  but  respect- 
ful tones. 

"Have  it  your  way,"  said  the  Governor,  sul- 
lenly. "But  as  you  have  no  army  behind  you 
and  cannot  enforce  this  surrender,  you  had  best 
look  out  for  your  own  safety.  I  have  soldiers 
under  my  command." 


68  The  Trail  Blazers 

Saying  this  the  Governor  began  slowly  to  put 
on  his  clothes,  for  he  knew  that  the  night  was  to 
be  full  of  incident. 

In  the  meantime  his  wife  sat  with  glaring  eyes, 
gazing  at  the  intruders  upon  her  privacy.  She 
had  not  tried  to  make  any  sound  since  her  first 
scream  had  been  silenced  by  a  rude  hand  upon 
her  mouth  but  had  listened  with  alarm  in  her 
face  to  all  that  had  been  said.  She  looked  at 
her  husband,  then  at  Clark  and  the  officers,  then 
at  the  scout,  and  finally  at  the  rough  faces  of  the 
soldiers.  When  she  heard  Clark  say  they  were 
Long  Knives  she  shuddered,  thinking  of  the 
awful  deeds  of  which  they  were  accused.  But 
when  she  saw  the  gentlemanly  bearing  of  the 
Colonel,  and  listened  to  the  accents  of  his  voice, 
her  alarm  gradually  subsided,  and  her  fears  gave 
way  to  other  emergencies  of  war. 

In  the  corner  of  the  dimly  lighted  room  was 
a  chest,  which  was  used  in  part  by  the  Governor 
as  repository  for  important  papers.  It  was 
locked  and  the  key  was  kept  in  the  Governor's 
possession.  Clark  had  not  noticed  the  chest, 
and,  of  course,  knew  nothing  of  its  contents. 
Madame  Rocheblave,  however,  thought  of  the 
documents  and  letters  in  it,  and  slipping  on  a 
light  covering  she  glided  out  of  bed  and  sat  on 
the  chest,  as  if  to  guard  its  secrets  from  those 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  69 

who  had  just  made  prisoners  of  herself  and  her 
husband. 

"Madame,  why  do  you  sit  there,  and  why  that 
defiance  in  your  face?  I  think  that  chest  must 
contain  something  of  value.  I  beg  you  to  leave 
your  seat  and  let  my  men  open  the  box  that  I 
may  see  what  it  contains,''  said  Clark. 

"No!  No!"  cried  Madame  Rocheblave,  in 
great  distress.  "This  chest  holds  something  of 
mine.  They  are  of  no  value  to  you.  I  shall 
not  move  from  here." 

Clark  knit  his  brow  in  perplexity.  He  was 
determined  to  find  out  what  the  box  contained, 
but  he  did  not  wish  forcibly  to  dislodge  the 
woman  from  her  seat.  He  tried  to  persuade 
her  to  let  him  see  inside,  but  she  shook  her  head 
violently  and  threatened  to  scream  aloud  if  he 
came  near  her. 

"I  do  not  wish  to  harm  a  lady,  especially  the 
wife  of  so  fine  an  officer  as  M.  Rocheblave,  but 
Madame,  I  am  resolved  to  see  inside  that  box. 
If  there  are  only  some  things  that  belong  to  you 
they  shall  not  be  disturbed." 

The  woman  cried  again,  "No!  No!  Go 
away.  You  cannot  see  inside  here.  I  shall  not 
let  you.  If  you  come  near  me  I  shall  scream 
and  the  soldiers  will  fill  this  room  and  kill  you 
all." 


70  The  Trail  Blazers 

Clark  was  not  afraid  of  any  such  event,  for  his 
men  were  posted  outside  and  any  noise  would 
bring  them  to  him  in  an  instant.  There  were 
probably  fifty  of  them  just  beyond  the  gate  and 
their  aim  was  very  deadly.  Therefore,  he  smiled 
and  said  again: 

"Madame,  I  have  enough  soldiers  to  take  care 
of  me,  and  to  take  possession  of  Kaskaskia. 
Your  husband  has  surrendered,  and  I  advise 
you  to  submit  before  I  am  compelled  to  order  my 
men  to  take  you  forcibly  from  your  place." 

Her  husband  now  intervened  to  prevent  an 
indignity  to  his  wife.  He  knew  by  Clark's  man- 
ner that  he  would  order  his  men  to  seize  her  if 
it  became  necessary  and  then  the  chest  would 
be  in  his  possession.  Therefore  he  said,  "We 
are  prisoners,  and  you  may  as  well  let  him  have 
his  way  in  this  also.  He  will  throw  you  off  and 
get  the  chest  anyhow." 

The  woman  took  a  seat  in  a  chair,  leaving  the 
box  to  Clark.  Ordering  one  of  his  men  to  open 
it,  he  watched  him  break  the  lock  with  his  heavy 
hunting  knife  and  throw  back  the  lid.  Putting 
his  hand  inside  he  found  a  quantity  of  woman's 
clothes  and  trinkets,  which  he  removed  and 
placed  on  the  floor.  In  the  bottom  of  the  box, 
however,  there  was  a  portfolio  filled  with  papers. 

"Ah,  these  may  be  of  value  to  me.     I  shall 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  71 

keep  them  to  see  what  advice  they  contain. 
Madame,  the  clothes  are  yours  as  you  said,  but 
I  find  that  the  box  contains  other  things  also," 
said  Clark,  as  he  ordered  the  men  to  replace  the 
clothes  and  close  the  lid  of  the  chest. 

It  was  several  days  before  Clark  had  time  to 
read  the  letters  in  the  portfolio.  When  he  did 
get  to  them  he  found  the  correspondence  between 
Rocheblave  and  Hamilton  at  Detroit.  Roche- 
blave  was  complaining  of  the  defenceless  state 
of  Kaskaskia,  asking  for  the  fort  to  be  repaired, 
asking  for  more  troops,  and  telling  of  the  danger 
of  capture  from  a  force  of  Americans.  Hamil- 
ton's letters  were  telling  him  to  rely  on  the 
Indians  and  to  stimulate  them  to  all  the  hostility 
he  could,  advising  him  to  make  them  presents 
and  to  send  them  out  to  harm  the  settlements 
along  the  Kentucky  border,  and  to  do  all  the 
damage  they  could. 

"The  beast,"  said  Clark,  to  himself,  when  he 
read  the  deadly  purpose  of  the  instructions. 
"Does  he  not  know  what  Indian  warfare  means? 
Does  not  he  know  that  Indians  burn  and  torture 
and  scalp,  and  that  they  spare  neither  young  nor 
old?  I  wonder  what  manner  of  man  he  is  that 
could  write  such  letters?" 

But  at  the  moment  he  secured  the  portfolio, 
there  was  no  time  for  reading  what  it  contained. 


72  The  Trail  Blazers 

He  handed  the  package  to  Bowman  with  in- 
structions to  keep  it  until  he  called  for  it. 

Leaving  the  Governor  and  his  wife  prisoners 
under  guard  of  a  few  soldiers,  Clark,  Bowman 
and  Kenton  went  outside  and  rejoined  the  men 
whom  he  had  left  outside  the  fort.  It  was  now 
long  past  midnight,  but  the  music  was  still  com- 
ing from  the  guard  hall  at  the  other  end  of  the 
fort. 

"Don't  these  people  ever  sleep?"  said  Clark. 

"Probably  they  dance  all  night  and  sleep  all 
day,"  replied  Bowman.  "Would  you  like  to 
join  them?" 

"Yes,  with  a  detachment  of  our  men,"  was 
the  answer.  "We  will  give  them  some  entertain- 
ment they  were  not  expecting." 

Calling  the  soldiers  to  follow  him,  he  boldly 
made  his  way  in  the  darkness  around  to  the 
lighted  hall.  Here  the  officers  were  giving  a 
ball,  and  the  fun  loving  French,  young  and  old, 
were  reveling  and  dancing  and  laughing,  while 
the  musicians  played  merry  tunes.  The  sen- 
tinels had  left  their  posts. 

"No  wonder  they  did  not  hear  us  capture 
the  Governor  and  his  wife.  They  are  making 
so  much  noise  they  could  not  hear  a  gunshot," 
remarked  Bowman. 

Clark  posted  his  men  around  the  door  and  at 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  73 

the  windows  and  told  them  not  to  fire  under  any 
circumstances,  but  to  keep  the  people  in  the  hall. 
He  then  advanced  alone  to  the  main  door,  stood 
awhile  in  the  entrance  and  then  leaned  against 
a  post,  watching  the  dance  with  a  smile  of 
amusement  on  his  face.  He  must  have  pre- 
sented an  odd  contrast  to  the  light  built  French 
with  their  well  kept  appearance.  Though 
young  and  strong  he  had  the  rough  wear  of 
months  upon  his  clothes,  and  his  brown  skin  and 
tangled  hair  showed  the  hardship  through  which 
he  had  just  passed.  For  awhile  he  was  un- 
noticed, or  else  those  who  saw  him  thought  him 
to  be  some  hunter  returned  from  the  woods. 

An  Indian  lay  on  the  floor  a  few  feet  from 
the  calm  observer  of  the  festivity.  The  savage 
had  keen  eyes  and  had  been  on  the  warpath  as 
far  as  Kentucky  and  knew  the  difference  between 
the  appearance  of  the  hunters  around  Kaskaskia 
and  those  from  beyond  the  Ohio.  He  stirred  un- 
easily and  rose  to  his  feet  regarding  Clark  in- 
tently. The  Colonel  looked  at  him  squarely  in 
the  eye  for  a  moment.  The  Indian  knew  he  was 
no  neighbor,  nor  friend,  but  that  he  was  from 
beyond  the  border,  and  was  at  the  fort  for  no 
good  purpose. 

Leaping  to  his  feet  the  savage  gave  a  yell 
that  sounded  the  war  cry  through  the  rafters 


74  The  Trail  Blazers 

of  the  building.  Then  another  and  another. 
The  music  ceased,  the  women  screamed,  and  the 
soldiers  made  a  rush  for  the  door.  All  was  con- 
fusion and  noise.  The  merriment  was  over,  and 
in  its  place  were  panic  and  fear.  When  the  sol- 
diers saw  Clark  at  the  door,  smiling  serenely  and 
confidently,  they  also  knew  where  he  had  come 
from,  and  surmised  what  force  he  had  brought 
with  him.  With  one  voice  they  exclaimed, 
"Long  Knives!     Long  Knives!" 

All  was  still  as  death,  for  the  fear  of  the 
Americans  was  in  every  mind.  What  force  did 
this  quiet  young  man  in  the  torn  and  muddy 
hunting  clothes,  and  wearing  a  fur  cap,  have 
behind  him?  Who  was  he  anyhow?  Should 
they  take  him  and  throw  him  out,  or  should  they 
acknowledge  themselves  surprised  and  over- 
come? The  officers  hesitated.  They  were  un- 
armed, not  even  their  swords  were  by  their  sides. 
The  sentries  likewise  had  no  arms.  Clark  was 
at  the  door  and  in  his  hand  was  a  long  rifle  that 
meant  death  to  the  first  man  that  showed 
resistance.  In  the  darkness  behind  him  there 
were  probably  other  men  similarly  armed. 

The  women  clung  to  the  men,  sobbing  with 
fear.  The  quiet  manner  of  the  frontiersman 
leaning  against  the  door  post  and  his  confident 
smile   filled   them   with   consternation.     When 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  15 

they  heard  the  men  say,  "Long  Knives,"  their 
minds  recalled  the  stories  of  capture  and  torture 
and  death  that  the  British  had  circulated  among 
the  people  of  the  Northwest  in  order  to  incite 
them  to  greater  hostility.  To  the  terrified 
women  in  the  guard  hall  their  presence  was 
worse  than  that  of  Pontiac  and  his  murderous 
band  of  followers. 

Clark  now  stepped  forward  and  held  up  his 
hand.  All  eyes  were  turned  upon  him,  and  the 
silence  was  intense.  His  face  assumed  a  resolute, 
but  not  a  fierce  expression.  He  spoke  slowly  so 
that  they  all  could  hear  and  understand  him. 

"I  am  George  Rogers  Clark,  Colonel  in  the 
service  of  Virginia  and  the  Continental  Army. 
With  me  is  a  force  of  Americans  large  enough  to 
capture  and  hold  Kaskaskia.  My  men  are  out- 
side and  have  surrounded  your  town.  We  are 
what  you  call  Long  Knives.  We  have  come  a 
long  way ;  we  can  shoot  far  and  kill  quick.  You 
are  now  my  prisoners.  You  may  go  on  with  your 
dancing,  but  you  are  dancing  under  the  Ameri- 
can flag  and  not  under  the  flag  of  England." 

The  effect  of  those  words  can  well  be  imag- 
ined. The  officers  saw  they  were  trapped,  and 
swore  violently,  but  not  in  loud  tones.  The 
women  were  cowed  and  fearful.     There  was  no 


76  The  Trail  Blazers 

movement  on  the  part  of  anyone  to  take  the 
suggestion  of  the  American. 

One  of  the  officers  spoke  up  and  inquired  in 
a  half-insolent  way,  "Will  you  and  your  Long 
Knives  slay  us  all  here  or  will  you  wait  until  we 
go  to  our  homes?" 

"I  said  you  might  go  on  with  your  dancing," 
was  the  reply. 

But  there  was  no  intention  of  going  on  with 
the  dancing.  All  merriment  had  died  out  of 
the  hearts  of  the  merrymakers.  They  could  not 
dance  with  death  staring  them  in  the  face.  The 
company  huddled  together  in  the  middle  of  the 
hall,  while  Clark  spoke  to  them  again. 

"I  may  as  well  let  you  know  that  the  Governor 
and  his  wife  are  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  my 
men.  We  have  just  taken  him  in  his  bed,  and 
he  is  now  under  guard  of  some  of  my  men.  He 
has  surrendered  to  me  the  fort,  this  town,  and 
all  the  people  in  it.  I  shall  expect  the  rest  of 
you  to  do  likewise." 

The  crowd  was  silent.  Clark  stepped  to  the 
door  and  called  his  men  who  were  waiting  out- 
side. In  they  marched,  Bowman  and  Kenton 
at  their  head.  They  were  worse  looking  than 
Clark  himself  and  their  appearance  was  by  no 
means   reassuring.     They   separated   into    two 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  77 

files,  each  man  having  his  rifle  in  his  hand,  his 
knife  in  his  belt. 

"Now,  my  friends,  you  see  I  have  soldiers  with 
me.  They  will  do  as  I  say.  If  you  wish  to 
dance  any  more  tonight  you  may  go  on,  and 
these  men  will  not  disturb  you.  If  you  wish  to 
go  to  your  homes  you  may  do  so,"  said  the 
Colonel,  turning  to  the  company,  who  had 
watched  the  coming  of  the  soldiers  with  increas- 
ing alarm. 

The  people  slowly  gathered  their  belongings 
and  prepared  to  depart.  They  spoke  not  a 
word,  but  marched  between  the  files  of  Clark's 
men  and  were  soon  in  the  streets,  and  on  their 
way  to  their  homes.  Clark  put  out  the  lights 
in  the  guard  hall  and  told  his  soldiers  to  follow 
him. 

Knowing  that  the  dancers  would  soon  give  out 
the  news  that  the  Long  Knives  had  arrived, 
and  that  the  town  would  be  aroused,  Clark  knew 
that  he  should  quickly  assemble  all  his  force  to 
terrify  the  people.  Therefore  he  ordered  all 
his  detachment  to  shout  as  loud  as  they  could 
in  order  to  call  together  those  who  had  sur- 
rounded the  village. 

From  fifty  lusty  throats  there  resounded  a  long 
and  fearful  cry.  It  was  the  same  cry  with  which 
often  in  the  backwoods  of  Virginia  they  had 


78  The  Trail  Blazers 

rushed  into  battle  with  the  Indians,  and  was  no 
less  terrifying  that  the  war  whoop  of  the  Illinois 
themselves.  At  the  same  moment  the  men  began 
firing  their  rifles,  until  the  sound  reached  those  in 
the  outskirts  and  echoed  far  beyond  the  river  and 
into  the  woods.  There  was  an  answering  shout 
from  the  companies  of  Captain  Harrod  and  Cap- 
tain Helm  and  the  hurrying  of  feet,  and  the  fir- 
ing of  guns. 

When  Clark  heard  all  the  noise  and  confusion 
his  own  men  were  making  and  the  answering 
shouts  of  the  oncoming  soldiers,  he  laughed 
aloud,  and  said  to  Bowman,  "It  sounds  like  a 
thousand  men.  I  wonder  if  these  people  think 
we  are  going  to  scalp  them  outright  and  throw 
their  bodies  into  the  river." 

"Very  likely,"  replied  the  Captain.  "These 
French  are  given  to  emotions  and  have  been  told 
that  we  are  worse  than  savages." 

"Let  them  believe  what  they  will.  It  will 
make  things  all  the  easier  for  us  in  the  end,"  re- 
marked Clark. 

"To  think  of  less  than  two  hundred  men  tak- 
ing a  town  by  surprise  this  way!  If  the  place 
had  been  properly  guarded  it  could  have  held  off 
a  thousand  of  us,"  was  the  comment  of  Bowman, 
in  some  disgust  at  the  careless  way  of  the  French 
commander. 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  79 

"They  may  rally  yet,  and  defeat  our  purpose. 
Therefore  we  must  keep  them  in  terror.  They 
are  a  changeable  people  and  once  over  their 
fright  these  officers  may  get  their  men  together," 
replied  Clark,  with  some  anxiety. 

The  town  was  now  full  of  soldiers.  There 
were  but  few  streets  and  not  more  than  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  houses  in  all.  The  men  were 
making  a  deal  of  noise,  what  with  shouting  and 
firing  of  guns,  and  the  terrified  inhabitants, 
aroused  from  their  sleep  were  lighting  torches 
and  appearing  at  the  doors  and  windows  and 
asking  what  it  all  meant. 

The  soldiers  replied  by  shouting,  "Long 
Knives!  Long  Knives!"  and  this  was  enough  to 
close  every  window  and  barricade  every  door. 

Clark  sent  a  detachment  of  Bowman's  men  to 
tell  the  others  to  inform  all  the  people  that  they 
must  keep  in  their  houses,  not  to  appear  in  the 
streets,  and  that  they  must  give  up  all  their  fire- 
arms of  every  sort  whatsoever.  If  any  one  re- 
fused to  surrender  his  gun,  or  came  outside  his 
jhouse  he  would  be  shot  instantly.  This  last 
order,  however,  was  for  the  people's  ears  only. 
Private  instructions  were  that  all  who  refused 
or  appeared  outside  were  to  be  arrested  and 
brought  before  the  Colonel  himself. 

The  instructions  were  quickly  given  to  all  the 


80  The  Trail  Blazers 

soldiers,  and  the  town  was  patrolled  in  every 
direction.  Guards  were  stationed  at  the  ends 
of  all  the  streets  to  see  that  no  one  escaped  to 
give  alarm  to  other  villages.  Some  of  the  sol- 
diers spoke  French  and  those  were  the  ones  who 
were  told  to  communicate  the  Colonel's  com- 
mands to  the  people.  These  soldiers  went  up 
and  down  in  front  of  the  houses  and  called  out 
to  the  people  inside. 

"Keep  inside  your  houses.  Do  not  come  on 
the  streets.  If  you  do  the  Long  Knives  will 
shoot  you.  Hand  all  your  guns  and  hunting 
knives  out  through  the  windows.  If  we  find  you 
have  kept  any  of  them  back  we  will  kill  all  the 
family." 

Of  course  this  order  was  largely  for  effect, 
for  Clark  had  no  such  purpose.  But  he  knew 
that  it  was  good  strategy  to  terrify  an  enemy 
particularly  such  temperamental  people  as  these 
Frenchmen.  The  order  had  its  effect  at  once. 
Not  a  soul  appeared  and  not  a  protest  was  made. 

The  soldiers  who  followed  behind  those  giving 
the  orders,  took  the  guns  and  knives  of  the 
people  as  they  were  thrust  out  of  the  windows 
to  them  or  thrown  on  the  ground.  With  these 
came  powder  horns,  belts,  old  swords,  and  any- 
thing that  could  be  called  weapons.  As  soon  as 
these  implements  of  warfare  were  delivered  or 


The  Capture  of  Kaskashia  81 

thrown  out,  the  windows  were  closed  and  shut 
tight,  often  with  a  muttered  oath  on  the  part 
of  the  men,  and  a  cry  of  terror  from  some  woman 
or  child. 

Outside  the  uproar  continued.  Inside  the 
people  shuddered,  expecting  every  instant  to 
hear  the  shrieks  and  groans  of  their  neighbors 
and  kindred  and  friends  announcing  that  a  gen- 
eral massacre  had  commenced. 

There  were  two  companies  of  French  soldiers 
in  the  town,  quartered  in  the  houses  of  the  people. 
They  had  received  no  orders  from  their  officers 
and  did  not  know  what  to  do.  There  was  no 
place  for  them  to  assemble  and  no  one  to  take 
charge  of  them.  They  were  as  disorganized  as 
the  people  themselves.  From  these  companies 
it  was  necessary  to  secure  all  their  guns  and 
equipment.  Therefore  the  men  asked  at  every 
house,  "Any  soldiers  in  here?  If  so,  tell  them 
to  hand  out  all  their  arms.  If  they  fail  it  will 
go  ill  with  all  of  you." 

This  was  enough.  The  soldiers,  willingly  or 
unwillingly,  handed  their  guns  out  to  the  men, 
the  officers  handed  their  swords  and  belts,  and 
all  the  ammunition  of  the  fort  and  all  in  the  town 
fell  into  the  hands  of  Clark  long  before  it  was 
dawn. 

Nor  did  the  men  forget  their  hunger.     In  the 


82  The  Trail  Blazers 

excitement  of  the  surprise  they  had  overlooked 
their  condition  and  had  gone  on  to  the  capture 
of  Kaskaskia  without  thinking  of  their  needs. 
Now  they  felt  the  pressure  of  hunger,  and  as  they 
went  from  house  to  house  they  demanded  food 
as  well  as  guns.  This  also  the  people  supplied, 
and  the  ludicrous  sight  was  presented  of  a  hungry 
soldier  grabbing  guns  with  one  hand,  and  food 
with  the  other  as  they  were  handed  out  of  the 
windows  of  the  houses. 

There  was  still  plenty  of  noise  during  the 
night.  Clark  intended  for  the  people  to  get  their 
fill  of  fear  and  distrust.  He  wished  them  to 
be  in  the  depths  of  despair  and  to  fear  the  worst, 
so  that  whatever  orders  he  had  in  mind  for  their 
safety  would  bring  as  great  a  reaction  as  pos- 
sible. So  while  the  people  were  in  a  panic  of 
fear  and  shuddered  in  their  houses  and  dared 
not  show  their  faces  even  at  the  doors  and  win- 
dows, and  the  Long  Knives  were  making  the 
night  hideous  by  their  noises  in  the  streets,  and 
while  the  guns  were  being  collected  and  the 
people  and  soldiers  completely  disarmed,  the  re- 
maining hours  of  the  night  passed. 

It  was  the  4th  of  July,  1778,  and  Kaskaskia, 
the  open  door  for  the  conquest  of  the  Northwest 
Territory,  all  that  great  empire  from  the  Ohio 
River  to  the  Great  Lakes,  was  in  the  hands  of 


The  Capture  of  Kaskaskia  83 

George  Rogers  Clark  and  his  little  band  of 
Virginians  and  Kentuckians.  It  was  a  slim 
hold  they  had,  and  a  dangerous  tenure.  But 
they  were  not  ones  to  be  afraid.  They  were 
fighting  for  their  country  and  were  dealing  with 
a  people  who  cared  little  for  the  British  and 
could  easily  be  changed  in  their  alliances  if  they 
were  treated  with  consideration. 


CHAPTER  IV 


WINNING  THE  PEOPLE 


WHEN  daylight  came,  Clark  sent  Bowman, 
with  a  few  soldiers,  to  find  out  who  were 
the  principal  citizens  of  Kaskaskia  and  to  bring 
three  or  four  of  them  to  him  that  he  might  get 
some  information  from  them.  They  came  be- 
fore him  in  such  a  terrified  state  of  mind  and 
spoke  so  incoherently  and  begged  for  their  lives 
so  piteously  that  what  information  they  gave 
was  of  no  value,  because  it  added  but  little  to 
what  he  already  knew. 

As  for  the  Indians,  the  citizens  were  more 
definite.  They  said  that  a  body  of  the  savages 
lay  at  this  time  in  Cahokia,  a  small  village  sixty 
miles  up  the  Mississippi  river,  and  that  they  were 
under  the  influence  of  Hamilton  and  had  been 
talked  to  by  Rocheblave,  and  were  not  the 
friends  of  the  Americans.  "Do  not  blame  us 
for  all  that,  sir,"  pleaded  the  distracted  citizens. 
"We  had  nothing  to  do  with  them,  and  did  not 
even  attend  the  meeting  they  had  with  the 
British  and  French." 

84 


Winning  the  People  85 

Clark  merely  smiled,  knowing  that  what  they 
said  was  probably  true,  but  not  wishing  yet  to 
relieve  their  minds  by  disclosing  his  real  purpose. 

Turning  to  the  citizens,  he  remarked,  "You 
may  as  well  remain  until  I  decide  further  what 
to  do  with  all  the  people  of  this  town."  Clark 
had  already  installed  himself  and  his  soldiers  in 
the  guard  hall  of  the  fort. 

The  first  act  of  the  Colonel  in  the  morning  was 
to  withdraw  all  the  troops  from  the  streets,  and 
to  station  them  at  different  points  around  the 
town,  arranging  for  their  comfort  and  giving 
orders  to  the  men  to  take  from  the  stores  only 
enough  to  supply  their  wants.  In  this  way  the 
men  secured  food,  ammunition  and  other  things 
they  needed  and  took  their  places  at  the  stations 
appointed  them.  When  they  left  the  streets  they 
told  the  people  that  Clark  had  given  permission 
for  the  inhabitants  to  leave  their  houses  and 
walk  about. 

The  doors  were  opened  and  the  French 
villagers  began  to  appear  and  look  in  alarm 
around  them,  wondering  what  was  going  to  be 
the  fate  of  themselves  and  their  town.  They 
gathered  in  groups  here  and  there  and  held 
council  in  low  tones,  and  the  word  Long  Knives 
was  the  one  most  frequent  upon  their  lips. 

Among  those  on  the  streets  was  the  Roman 


86  The  Trail  Blazers 

Catholic  priest,  Pierre  Gibault,  who  was  the 
representative  of  the  Bishop  of  Quebec  in  the 
Illinois  country.  Gathering  around  him  five  or 
six  of  the  oldest  of  the  Kaskaskians,  they  ap- 
proached the  guard  hall  where  Clark  was  sleep- 
ing after  being  awake  all  night.  The  sentry 
kept  them  waiting  for  an  hour  and  then  awoke 
the  Colonel  and  told  him  that  a  delegation  of 
citizens  was  without  waiting  to  see  him.  Clark 
arose  and  prepared  to  see  them  for  he  easily 
guessed  what  was  their  mission. 

Now  Clark  was  in  reality  of  a  gentle  nature, 
and  kindly  disposed  towards  everybody.  Only 
the  emergency  of  war  could  make  him  severe  to 
his  enemies,  and  as  for  cruelty  it  was  out  of  the 
question.  It  was  his  original  intention  to  be 
lenient  to  these  inoffensive  people,  and  to  attach 
them  to  his  interest  if  he  could.  In  fact  such 
were  the  instructions  he  had  received  from 
Governor  Henry.  If  he  had  appeared  the 
savage  that  the  people  had  been  taught  he  was, 
it  was  only  for  the  purpose  of  terrifying  them 
into  a  quiet  and  bloodless  submission  to  his  orders, 
and  not  from  any  liking  of  the  torture  their 
minds  had  suffered  during  the  night.  Therefore 
he  welcomed  the  coming  of  the  delegation  and 
was  prepared  to  do  his  part  in  a  way  that  would 
lead  to  the  best  results. 


Winning  the  People  87 

The  priest  and  the  old  citizens  came  in  the  hall 
where  Clark  was  seated,  attended  by  a  few  of 
his  officers.  The  delegation  was  so  confused 
that  at  first  they  could  say  nothing.  Before 
them  was  a  rough  young  American,  strong  and 
well  built,  thick  sandy  hair,  grown  long  and 
matted,  blue  eyes  and  heavy  shaggy  eyebrows. 
He  had  taken  off  his  fur  cap  and  laid  it  on  the 
floor  beside  him,  but  he  wore  a  belt  in  which  was 
a  hunting  knife.  He  looked  more  like  a  back- 
woodsman than  a  commander.  His  officers 
were  as  rough  as  he.  The  appearance  of  the 
group  gave  little  comfort  to  the  Frenchmen 
who  had  come  to  appeal  to  them. 

Clark  broke  the  silence,  "Well,  what  have  you 
to  say?" 

The  priest  timidly  inquired,  "Which  of  you  is 
Colonel  Clark?     I  would  speak  to  him." 

"I  am  Colonel  Clark,"  said  that  official. 
"You  may  speak  to  me  whatever  is  in  your 
mind." 

"I  am  Pierre  Gibault,  the  priest,  and  these 
are  my  friends.  We  have  come  to  say  that  we 
know  our  present  situation  is  due  to  the  fate  of 
war,  and  that  we  are  prisoners  in  your  hands  to 
do  with  as  you  will.  We  have  been  told  that 
you  are  the  leader  of  the  Long  Knives,  and  that 
you  have  a  large  and  strong  body  of  followers 


88  The  Trail  Blazers 

with  you,  who  have  come  from  heaven  knows 
where  or  how.  We  know  you  have  captured  our 
town  and  that  we  are  at  your  mercy.  We  are  not 
here  to  dispute  with  you  but  to  intercede  with 
you." 

Here  the  priest  stopped  and  looked  around. 
Clark  made  no  movement,  and  finally  said,  "Go 
on. 

"We  have  been  told  by  the  British  that  the 
Long  Knives  are  cruel ;  that  they  scalp,  murder, 
burn,  destroy;  and  that  they  kill  little  children 
and  carry  off  the  women.  We  are  here  to  beg 
you  to  spare  our  lives  for  we  are  not  warlike 
people." 

Clark  could  barely  suppress  his  indignation 
at  these  words  and  was  on  the  point  of  bursting 
out  his  protest.  He  restrained  himself,  how- 
ever, and  the  priest  went  on: 

"If  you  spare  our  lives  we  shall  be  grateful 
for  that  much.  If  you  turn  us  out  into  this 
wilderness,  making  us  leave  our  homes  and 
possessions,  we  beg  that  you  will  not  separate  our 
little  families,  and  that  you  will  allow  us  food 
and  clothing  for  a  journey  to  another  village. 
All  the  Indians  around  here  are  not  our  friends. 
If  we  were  driven  out  of  Kaskaskia,  the  old  and 
young  would  die  of  exposure,  the  savages  would 


Winning  the  People  89 

get  some  of  us  a^id  only  a  few  could  reach  any 
other  settlement." 

By  this  time  Clark  could  hold  himself  in  no 
longer.  His  real  nature  was  in  revolt  at  such 
possibilities  as  the  priest  suggested.  When  the 
good  man  finished  and  waited  for  his  reply,  the 
Colonel  rose  and  said: 

"Father,  you  and  your  people  mistake  us  for 
savages.  We  have  hearts  just  as  you  have,  and 
we  love  our  women  and  children  just  as  you  do. 
We  do  not  scalp,  nor  murder,  nor  burn,  nor 
destroy.  We  have  never  killed  children  or 
carried  off  women.  The  British  have  told  you 
what  was  not  true.  We  are  Long  Knives,  for 
men  only,  and  not  then,  except  for  ruthless 
savages,  who  have  come  into  our  country  to  get 
scalps  to  sell  in  Detroit.  We  shall  not  strip  you 
of  your  food  and  clothing,  nor  drive  you  from 
your  houses.  We  do  not  take  bread  from  the 
mouths  of  the  helpless.  You  may  go  back  and 
tell  your  people  they  are  safe." 

The  delegation  listened  with  wonder  and  sur- 
prise. This  was  not  what  they  expected  to  hear. 
The  priest  stammered  forth:  "You  are  not 
going  to  hurt  us,  nor  drive  us  out  of  our  town? 
You  are  going  to  let  us  stay  here  in  safety?" 

"I  am  not  going  to  hurt  you,  nor  drive  you 
from   this   town,    and   you  may   stay  here   in 


90  The  Trail  Blazers 

safety,"  said  Clark,  hastily.  "Go  and  tell  the 
people  to  assemble  at  this  place  and  I  shall  speak 
to  them  all  so  that  they  can  understand  me.  I 
am  no  orator,  but  they  can  get  the  meaning  of 
my  words  somehow." 

The  delegation  quickly  withdrew,  their  eyes 
shining  with  satisfaction  and  their  faces  covered 
with  smiles.  Bowman  put  his  hand  on  Clark's 
shoulder  with  a  gentle  pressure  and  the  Colonel 
knew  what  was  in  the  mind  of  his  Captain  though 
no  words  were  spoken. 

It  did  not  take  long  for  the  priest  and  his  com- 
panions to  spread  the  news  of  the  words  of  the 
American.  The  inhabitants  had  waited  with 
apprehension  and  fear  for  the  end  of  the  inter- 
view. The  mysterious  and  unlooked-for  ap- 
proach and  the  sudden  onslaught  of  the  back- 
woodsmen, together  with  their  uncouth  and  fierce 
appearance,  and  the  grim  silence  of  the  leader 
and  his  men  were  by  no  means  reassuring  that 
the  stories  of  the  atrocities  of  the  Long  Knives 
were  not  true.  The  villagers  did  not  readily 
lay  aside  their  fears  in  spite  of  the  words  of  the 
Commander  to  the  priest.  Their  minds  were 
still  full  of  forebodings  for  their  future. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  people  of  the  village 
had  assembled  before  the  guard  hall.  The  men 
were  all  there,  including  most  of  the  soldiers. 


Winning  the  People  91 

The  officers  were  still  confined  to  their  quarters 
and  under  special  guard.  The  women  were 
also  there,  some  of  them  holding  children  by  the 
hands.  It  was  a  quiet  and  anxious  gathering,  not 
all  of  whom  could  understand  English. 

Clark  and  a  few  of  his  officers  appeared  at 
the  door  and  faced  the  silent  and  fearful  crowd. 
It  was  the  first  time  most  of  them  had  seen  him. 
When  he  stood  before  them  in  his  torn  and 
muddy  clothes,  his  rough  hunting  shirt,  his  hair 
and  his  beard  showing  a  month's  growth,  their 
perplexity  grew  deeper,  for  they  were  accus- 
tomed to  officers  in  bright  uniforms  and  with 
shining  swords. 

Clark  spoke  slowly  so  that  those  who  under- 
stood him  might  communicate  his  words  to  the 
others. 

"My  friends,"  said  he,  "the  Long  Knives 
have  not  come  among  you  to  butcher  you  and 
burn  your  houses  and  carry  off  your  women  and 
children  as  you  have  been  told.  We  do  not  make 
war  upon  the  helpless  and  innocent.  We  are 
not  savages,  like  those  who  have  been  sent  across 
our  own  border  to  take  the  scalps  of  our  own 
people  to  the  Hair  Buyer  in  Detroit.  We  have 
come  to  punish  those  who  have  done  us  harm,  and 
to  prevent  the  horrid  butchery  of  our  own  wives 
and  children.     We  are  not  here  to  plunder  your 


92  The  Trail  Blazers 

houses  nor  disturb  your  occupations.  We  have 
come  a  far  way  and  with  much  hardship,  for  we 
have  determined  minds  and  long  arms  for  our 
enemies.  On  the  other  hand  we  have  tender 
feelings,  and  willing  hands  for  those  who  would 
be  our  friends.  I  want  you  to  know  that  a 
treaty  has  been  made  between  the  King  of 
France  and  the  American  people,  by  which  the 
French  have  agreed  to  help  America  in  this  war 
against  the  British,  and  to  help  us  gain  our  in- 
dependence of  England.  You  are  French  and 
you  still  love  France.  Since  the  French  are  our 
friends,  I  shall  expect  you  to  be  my  friends,  and 
to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  America.  If 
you  will  take  this  oath  you  shall  be  allowed  to 
go  about  your  daily  affairs  in  the  same  way  as 
before  the  coming  of  the  Long  Knives." 

The  faces  of  the  crowd  cleared  with  pleasure. 
When  all  had  understood  the  words  of  the  speaker 
they  broke  into  murmurs  of  applause  and  into 
cheers.  This  was  far  different  from  what  they 
had  expected.  France  had  become  an  ally  of 
America,  and  had  broken  with  England.  Ameri- 
ca's war  was  therefore  their  war,  and  they  all  were 
allies.  With  one  voice  they  declared,  "We  will 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  America  and  be 
friends  with  the  Long  Knives.     The  American 


Winning  the  People  93 

flag  is  our  flag,  and  the  American  cause  is  our 


cause." 


Clark  saw  this  change  of  sentiment  with  great 
satisfaction.  It  was  the  carrying  out  of  the  pur- 
pose he  had  in  mind.  After  awhile,  he  con- 
tinued, "To  prove  to  you  my  sincerity,  you  are 
all  at  liberty  to  return  to  your  homes  and  go  about 
your  business  as  before.  You  shall  not  be  dis- 
turbed, and  you  need  not  have  the  least  fear  of 
harm.  My  men  will  protect  you  rather  than 
hurt  you.  Only  you  must  each  of  you  swear  to 
become  American  citizens  and  to  stand  by  the 
American  cause." 

The  crowd  eagerly  swore  allegiance  by  holding 
up  their  hands  and  uttering  exclamations  of  satis- 
faction with  the  change.  Since  France  had  gone 
with  America,  they  also  would  go. 

Father  Gibault  was  in  the  crowd  but  his  face 
had  not  yet  cleared  of  all  fear.  He  had  heard 
much  of  friendship  and  allegiance,  and  the  flag, 
but  nothing  of  religion  and  the  church.  His 
mind  was  on  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  people. 
When  Clark  had  concluded  his  speech,  the  priest 
stepped  forward,  and  said: 

"Sir,  we  are  all  Roman  Catholics,  and  I  am  the 
priest  of  this  people.  In  swearing  allegiance  to 
the  American  flag,  what  has  become  of  our  reli- 
gion, and  what  church  shall  we  serve?     How 


94  The  Trail  Blazers 

generous  will  you  be  with  our  faith  and  our  serv- 


ices?" 


The  Colonel  replied  promptly,  "Father  Gib- 
ault,  under  the  American  flag  all  men  are  free  to 
worship  God  as  they  choose.  They  can  have  any 
faith  they  like,  belong  to  any  church  they  prefer, 
and  attend  any  worship  that  pleases  them. 
America  is  a  land  of  the  free  in  religion  as  well  as 
in  government.  You  and  your  people  may  re- 
main Roman  Catholics  as  long  as  you  desire,  and 
can  have  your  services  as  usual.  You  shall  not 
be  disturbed." 

This  was  enough  to  allay  the  fears  and  satisfy 
the  feelings  of  the  French.  The  crowd  broke 
into  loud  cheers,  and  their  agitation  of  alarm  gave 
way  to  transports  of  joy.  The  people  ran  to 
their  homes  and  threw  open  doors  and  windows. 
Bunting  was  hung  out  as  upon  the  occasion  of  a 
holiday.  The  bells  were  rung,  and  the  people 
gathered  in  the  church  to  offer  thanksgiving  for 
what  they  believed  to  be  their  deliverance  from 
the  hands  of  barbarians.  Parades  were  formed, 
and  bands  of  citizens  marched  up  and  down  the 
streets  singing  songs.  When  evening  came  bon- 
fires were  lighted  and  crowds  gathered  for  danc- 
ing and  rejoicing.  The  mercurial  French  were 
now  as  loud  in  praise  of  Colonel  Clark  and  the 


Winning  the  People  95 

Long  Knives  as  before  they  had  been  in  mortal 
terror  of  them. 

From  that  time  the  village  assumed  the  regular 
course  of  daily  affairs.  The  people  went  freely 
about  the  streets.  The  citizens  and  French  sol- 
diers mingled  with  the  Long  Knives,  the  stores 
did  their  usual  business,  and  the  going  and  com- 
ing of  the  inhabitants  were  not  interfered  with. 
They  were  now  under  the  American  flag. 

Rocheblave  was  still  a  prisoner.  He  and  his 
wife  were  held  under  guard  in  the  fort,  and  were 
not  allowed  the  freedom  that  had  been  granted 
other  inhabitants.  The  reason  was  simple ;  Roche- 
blave was  most  violent  in  his  denunciation  of 
Clark  and  the  Americans,  and  nothing  that  was 
said  to  him  could  pacify  him  in  the  least.  It  was 
the  hope  of  Clark  to  win  over  the  French  Com- 
mander, and  to  restore  to  him  the  property  which 
had  been  seized,  which  consisted  of  a  few  negro 
slaves  belonging  to  his  wife.  These  slaves  had 
not  been  sold,  nor  confined,  but  were  held  as 
property  of  the  American  government,  and  were 
used  by  Clark  to  take  care  of  the  fort  and  to  wait 
upon  his  officers. 

Clark  decided  to  give  back  the  slaves  to  Roche- 
blave, and  to  treat  him  most  leniently.  Know- 
ing how  easily  a  French  officer  could  be  influenced 
by  kindness  and  attention  he  invited  his  prisoner 


96  The  Trail  Blazers 

to  dine  with  him  and  a  few  American  officers  in 
the  fort.  He  expected  at  this  dinner  to  offer  a 
parole  to  Rocheblave  and  his  wife,  and  to  restore 
to  them  the  slaves  he  had  taken. 

Every  preparation  that  the  village  afforded 
was  made  for  the  occasion.  Several  days  had 
passed  since  Clark  had  dismissed  the  fears  of  the 
people,  and  their  hospitality  to  him  was  un- 
bounded. Therefore  he  had  no  trouble  to  secure 
supplies.  As  for  himself  and  his  own  officers, 
being  Virginians,  they  made  the  best  of  their  sur- 
roundings and  opportunities,  and  presented  a 
different  appearance  than  when  they  arrived  in 
the  village.  Rocheblave  was  allowed  to  appear 
in  his  uniform,  though  his  sword  was  removed 
and  he  bore  no  arms. 

Clark,  Bowman,  Harrod,  and  Helm  were 
there,  and  a  few  others.  Rocheblave  came  in  and 
stood  before  the  company,  with  a  sullen  defiance 
upon  his  face. 

Clark  very  politely  said  to  them  all,  "Now  that 
our  guest  has  arrived,  we  will  no  longer  consider 
him  a  prisoner,  but  for  the  time  being  an  officer 
of  rank.     Let  us  all  be  seated." 

Rocheblave  folded  his  arms  and  replied,  "I  am 
still  your  prisoner,  and  shall  not  be  considered 
your  guest.  I  have  come  here  not  to  eat  your 
food  and  drink  your  wine,  but  to  tell  you  that  you 


Winning  the  People  97 

are  all  rebels  and  robbers.  You  have  rebelled 
against  the  British  government  and  deserve  to  be 
hanged  as  traitors.  You  have  stolen  my  prop- 
erty and  my  slaves  and  you  should  be  in  prison 
instead  gf  me.  Furthermore  I  believe  you  still 
intend  violence  against  these  people  and  have  de- 
luded them  with  soft  words  against  the  day  when 
you  will  fall  upon  them  and  drive  them  into  the 
wilderness  or  worse." 

Clark  and  his  officers  were  aghast  at  these 
words.  The  Colonel  was  gentle  enough  at  heart, 
but  his  temper  was  quick  to  flame  when  blown 
upon  by  such  accusations  as  he  had  just  heard. 

"Monsieur,  you  are  out  of  your  senses  to  act 
and  think  as  you  do.  Such  conduct  is  unbearable 
on  your  part,  and  we  are  not  capable  of  the  things 
you  accuse  us  of." 

"Perhaps  not,  but  that  is  my  belief,"  said 
Rocheblave,  beginning  to  lose  control  of  himself. 
He  had  had  time  to  brood  over  his  imprisonment 
and  disgrace  and  was  now  venting  his  anger  and 
mortification. 

Clark  now  flamed  in  wrath.  "You  shall  apolo- 
gize to  us  here  for  this  insult  or  else  by  heaven, 
back  you  go  to  your  prison  and  in  irons  too.  I 
did  intend  to  treat  you  fairly  and  take  your 
parole  as  a  gentleman  and  an  officer  and  give  you 
back  your  slaves  but  you  make  it  out  of  the  ques- 


98  The  Trail  Blazers 

tion.  Quick,  sir,  retract  these  words,  or  it  shall 
go  ill  with  you." 

Rocheblave  smiled  disdainfully,  "No,  you  are 
a  parcel  of  rebels  and  thieves.  I  shall  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  you,  nor  take  your  parole.  I  am 
your  prisoner,  and  you  may  have  your  way. 
Had  it  not  been  for  my  wife  and  the  knowledge 
that  the  Long  Knives  were  as  bloodthirsty  as  the 
Illinois,  I  should  have  died  rather  than  sur- 
render." 

The  French  officer  had  worked  himself  into  a 
frenzy.  Realizing  that  he  had  been  taken  un- 
awares, captured  in  his  bed,  overcome  by  a  snare 
which  diligence  on  his  part  could  have  prevented, 
that  he  was  a  disgraced  officer  and  a  prisoner  to 
a  lot  of  rough  frontiersmen,  his  pride  bereft  him 
of  his  prudence.  So  when  Clark  again  broke 
forth,  "Sir,  you  are  a  madman,  and  were  you  not 
my  guest  and  a  prisoner,  I  would  choke  those 
words  back  into  your  throat." 

Rocheblave  lost  control  of  himself.  His  face 
turned  red,  his  hand  instinctively  sought  his 
sword,  but  he  was  unarmed  and  helpless.  Seiz- 
ing a  heavy  chair  he  raised  it  and  advanced  upon 
the  Colonel  as  if  to  strike  him  to  the  floor.  Bow- 
man and  the  others  sprang  forward  and  held  him. 
In  their  strong  arms  he  was  as  powerless  as  a 
child,  and  when  the  chair  had  been  wrenched 


Winning  the  People  99 

from  his  grasp  and  he  had  been  thrown  back 
against  the  wall,  he  stood  glaring  like  a  wild  ani- 
mal at  his  captors. 

"Here,  take  this  crazy  man  back  to  the  guard 
house  and  put  him  in  irons,"  said  Clark,  to  the 
guard  at  the  door.  When  they  came  and  led  the 
still  furious  Frenchman  away,  the  American  re- 
marked to  the  others,  "That  ends  all  hope  of 
giving  him  back  his  property.  I  shall  send  him 
as  prisoner  of  war  to  Williamsburg  and  let  Gov- 
ernor Henry  decide  what  to  do  with  him." 

In  a  short  while  a  guard  started  over  the  moun- 
tains carrying  Rocheblave  as  prisoner  of  war  to 
Williamsburg,  the  capital  of  Virginia.  When 
he  reached  that  place  he  was  put  in  prison,  but 
was  shortly  afterwards  released  on  parole.  He 
broke  his  parole  two  years  later  and  fled  to  New 
York.  His  wife  remained  in  Kaskaskia,  where 
she  went  to  live  with  her  people. 

Several  weeks  afterward,  Clark  sent  for  Ma- 
dame Rocheblave.  When  she  appeared  before 
him  he  saw  that  she  was  still  a  beautiful  woman, 
belonging  to  one  of  the  best  families  of  Kaskas- 
kia. 

"Madame,  I  have  a  letter  from  Governor  Pat- 
rick Henry  of  Virginia  directing  me  to  return  to 
you  your  slaves,"  said  the  Colonel,  rising  and 


100  The  Trail  Blazers 

bowing.  "Your  husband  is  safe  in  Williams- 
burg and  is  out  on  parole." 

"Yes,  I  have  had  word  from  him,"  said  the 
Frenchwoman. 

"Shall  I  send  you  the  slaves?"  asked  the 
Colonel. 

"No.     I  have  no  need  for  them." 

"The  letter  also  says  that  I  am  to  assist  you 
from  the  public  stores  if  you  are  in  need.  Is 
there  anything  I  can  do  for  you?" 

"My  people  here  can  provide  for  me.  There 
is  nothing  you  can  do."  And  with  those  words 
she  left  the  presence  of  the  young  American,  who 
was  full  of  admiration  for  the  spirit  she  displayed 
and  of  regret  that  she  declined  his  offers  of  assist- 
ance. 

Subsequently  the  slaves  were  sold  for  five 
hundred  pounds  and  the  proceeds  distributed 
among  the  troops  as  prize  money. 

Among  the  prominent  citizens  of  Kaskaskia 
was  Gabriel  Cerre,  who  was  reported  to  have  left 
town  before  its  capture  by  the  Virginians.  He 
had  extensive  business  connections  in  St.  Louis 
and  Quebec,  had  loaned  considerable  sums  of 
money  to  a  number  of  people  in  Kaskaskia,  and 
was  accustomed  to  dealing  with  the  Indians,  ex- 
changing ammunition,  clothing,  and  such  articles 


Winning  the  People  101 

as  the  savages  like,  for  the  rich  products  of  the 
forests. 

In  the  village  was  the  family  of  Cerre,  and  a 
large  assortment  of  merchandise,  which  was  kept 
in  his  store  against  the  time  when  the  tribes  would 
assemble  for  talk  and  would  bring  into  town  their 
own  wares  for  exchange. 

It  had  been  suggested  to  Clark  by  several  of 
the  citizens  that  Cerre  was  involved  in  much  of 
the  Indian  atrocity  that  had  vexed  the  border 
settlements.  Indeed,  he  was  accused  of  inciting 
them  to  go  on  the  warpath  against  the  whites,  and 
of  supplying  them  with  guns  and  knives  and  war 
paint,  and  with  whatever  else  he  could  induce 
them  to  buy.  It  was  intimated  that  Cerre 
thought  more  of  his  trade  than  he  did  of  the  con- 
sequences of  what  he  sold  or  said,  and  that  he  was 
among  those  who  passed  the  word  on  to  the  sons 
of  the  forest  that  a  white  man's  scalp  was  worth 
a  deal  of  money  in  Detroit  or  even  in  Vincennes. 

"I  do  not  believe  all  I  hear  about  this  French- 
man," said  Clark  to  Bowman  one  day.  "He  is 
not  here  to  defend  himself,  and  furthermore,  a 
lender  of  money  and  a  prosperous  merchant  often 
makes  as  many  enemies  as  friends.  I  should  like 
to  get  him  on  our  side  if  we  could." 

"We  need  all  the  friends  we  can  get  in  this 
wilderness,"  replied  Bowman.     "Here  we  are 


102  The  Trail  Blazers 

with  less  than  two  hundred  men  trying  to  conquer 
and  hold  a  territory  as  big  as  France,  and  not  a 
soldier  within  three  hundred  miles  to  help  us. 
Yes,  I  think  we  need  Cerre  and  all  the  others  we 
can  get." 

"How  can  we  get  him  back  to  Kaskaskia,  and 
win  him  over?"  asked  the  Colonel. 

"Put  a  guard  around  his  house,  shut  his  family 
up  tight,  and  close  his  store  against  all  custom- 
ers, and  tell  them  that  it  was  done  because  Cerre 
was  accused  of  inciting  the  Indians." 

Clark  thought  for  a  moment  over  the  plan 
proposed,  and  decided  it  was  worth  trying.  Per- 
haps the  merchant  would  return  and  explain 
things,  and  Clark  could  win  him  over.  Accord- 
ingly a  guard  was  placed  around  his  house,  and 
his  store,  and  it  was  given  out  that  Cerre  was 
suspected  of  inciting  the  Indians,  and  that  if  it 
were  true  Clark  was  going  to  confiscate  every- 
thing he  had.  The  Colonel  took  care  that  this 
action  should  be  given  such  notice  that  the  mer- 
chant in  St.  Louis  could  not  fail  to  be  informed 
of  it. 

Now  the  Colonel  had  not  forbidden  the  people 
of  Kaskaskia  to  go  wherever  they  chose.  They 
were  at  just  as  much  liberty  as  they  ever  were, 
and  hunters  and  peddlers  and  woodsmen  were 
constantly  going  and  coming  along  the  trails  into 


Winning  the  People  103 

and  out  of  town.  It  did  not  take  long  for  one  of 
the  traders  to  find  his  way  to  St.  Louis  and  seek 
out  Cerre  with  the  news  of  Kaskaskia. 

"The  Long  Knives  have  captured  the  town, 
have  put  the  Commandant  in  irons  and  sent  him 
under  guard  to  Virginia,  and  have  made  all  the 
people  swear  allegiance  to  the  American  flag." 
All  this  to  the  amazement  of  Cerre,  as  well  as  his 
deep  concern. 

"What  have  the  Long  Knives  done  to  the 
people?"  asked  he. 

"Oh,  nothing.  They  go  about  their  business 
as  usual,  the  church  is  open,  and  we  come  and  go 
as  we  like.  There  is  no  difference  that  I  can  see. 
One  flag  is  as  good  as  another,  so  long  as  you  can 
convince  the  Colonel  that  you  mean  no  harm." 

"And  what  about  my  family  and  warehouse?" 

"The  Colonel  suspects  you  of  stirring  up  the 
Indians  and  sending  them  on  the  warpath.  At 
least  he  has  been  told  so.  He  has  put  a  guard 
around  your  house,  shut  up  your  family,  and 
closed  your  store.  He  has  said  he  will  keep  this 
up  until  he  finds  out  the  truth." 

The  merchant  was  much  alarmed.  He  also 
had  heard  of  the  terrible  deeds  of  the  Long 
Knives,  and  dreaded  to  meet  their  Commander 
in  his  present  state  of  mind.  He  expected  to 
hear  that  his  store  had  been  burned,  his  slaves 


104  The  Trail  Blazers 

sold,  his  household  goods  confiscated,  and  that  his 
family  had  been  sent  prisoners  back  to  Virginia. 
He  hastened  to  the  Spanish  Governor  at  St. 
Louis  and  secured  a  letter  to  Clark,  asking  for 
safe  conduct  in  case  the  merchant  came  back  to 
Kaskaskia.  He  secured  another  letter  from  the 
Commandant  at  Sainte  Genevieve,  a  small  fort 
not  far  from  Kaskaskia  across  the  Mississippi 
River.  He  procured  a  number  of  letters  from 
prominent  citizens.  All  these  letters  requested 
the  American  Commander  to  receive  Gabriel 
Cerre  and  to  guarantee  him  safety.  These  letters 
were  sent  by  a  special  messenger  to  Kaskaskia 
and  were  delivered  to  the  Colonel  with  some  de- 
gree of  formality. 

Clark  read  them  with  much  interest.  Here 
was  a  man  of  influence  and  importance,  as  well 
as  of  wealth.  He  had  friends  among  the  officers 
of  nearby  ports  and  towns.  He  seemed  to  stand 
well  among  the  people  who  knew  him.  Such  a 
man  should  be  on  the  side  of  the  Americans. 

The  Colonel  was  a  strategist  as  well  as  a  sol- 
dier, and  he  knew  how  to  use  his  opportunity. 
He  was  not  quick  to  dispel  fears,  nor  lay  down 
his  purposes  before  the  eyes  of  his  enemies  too 
soon.  His  great  skill  lay  in  his  ability  to  keep 
his  own  counsel  and  play  a  secret  game.  He 
knew  well  that  he  had  to  win  his  way  by  strategy 


Winning  the  People  105 

and  not  by  force.  Therefore  he  kept  the  mes- 
sengers waiting  for  an  hour  or  more,  and  then 
told  them  in  firm  but  courteous  words: 

"I  shall  pay  no  attention  to  these  letters,  nor 
shall  I  promise  anything  to  this  Gabriel  Cerre. 
All  the  letters  you  could  bring  would  not  make 
me  forgive  a  man  who  had  stirred  up  those  sav- 
ages against  my  people.  If  he  is  guilty  he  shall 
pay.     If  he  is  innocent  he  has  nothing  to  fear." 

"But,  sir,  Monsieur  Cerre  is  innocent  of  these 
charges." 

"Then  let  him  come  here  alone,  and  prove  it. 
He  is  a  sensible  man.  Tell  him  I  am  no  blood- 
thirsty savage  seeking  to  destroy  a  village,  but 
I  am  an  American  officer  who  has  captured  this 
town  and  this  territory  and  intend  to  keep  it.  I 
desire  no  more  communications  from  him,  they 
make  me  more  suspicious.  If  he  wishes  to  see 
me  the  roads  are  open,  the  boats  on  the  river  are 
free  to  go  and  come,  and  I  shall  be  here  for  some 
time." 

Saying  this  with  apparent  heat,  Clark  folded 
the  letters  and  laid  them  aside.  The  messengers 
were  perplexed  and  hesitated  to  withdraw.  Fi- 
nally they  inquired,  "And  if  Monsieur  Cerre 
should  come  will  you  give  him  a  hearing,  before 
you  condemn  him?" 

"He  need  have  no  fear  of  me.     Ask  Father 


106  The  Trail  Blazers 

Gibault  and  the  people  of  Kaskaskia.  Go  back 
to  the  merchant  and  tell  him  what  they  say." 

The  messengers  withdrew.  In  a  few  days 
Cerre  appeared  in  Kaskaskia  unattended.  He 
did  not  wait  to  visit  his  family,  but  went  at  once 
to  the  house  where  Clark  was  staying.  When  he 
came  before  the  Colonel  he  asked: 

"Of  what  am  I  charged,  that  you  should  put 
a  guard  over  my  house  and  close  up  my  store?" 

Clark  spoke  to  him  plainly  but  kindly.  "Mon- 
sieur Cerre,  I  have  been  told  that  you  encourage 
the  Indians  in  their  attacks  upon  the  white  people 
of  Kentucky,  that  you  sell  them  guns,  powder, 
knives,  tomahawks  and  war  paint,  and  secretly 
inform  them  that  Hamilton  will  buy  scalps  at 
Detroit  or  Vincennes.  I  consider  such  conduct 
inhuman,  and  those  who  are  guilty  of  it  should 
be  punished.  All  I  wish  to  know  is  whether 
such  charges  are  true  or  not." 

To  this  the  merchant  replied,  "Sir,  I  am  but 
a  trader  in  these  parts,  who  has  built  up  a  fair 
fortune  in  honest  business.  I  have  sold  all  the 
things  you  mention  to  the  savages  who  came  into 
this  village,  but  so  has  every  other  merchant. 
They  need  ammunition  to  get  game,  they  use 
paint  at  other  times  than  during  war.  They 
have  their  own  quarrels  among  themselves  and  a 
tomahawk  is  a  legitimate  article  to  sell.     I  also 


Winning  the  People  107 

sell  them  food  and  clothing  and  buy  from  them 
skins  and  meat.  I  have  never  stirred  them  up  to 
war  with  the  whites,  and  I  know  nothing  of  Ham- 
ilton and  his  offer  to  purchase  scalps.  You  have 
been  misinformed." 

"There  are  those  who  have  accused  you  of 
these  things." 

"Perhaps,  and  there  are  those  who  owe  me  a 
lot  of  money  and  who  would  be  glad  to  see  me 
sent  out  of  the  country  so  that  they  would  be  free 
of  their  debts.  They  may  be  my  accusers.  My 
ruin  would  be  their  salvation." 

Clark  was  thoughtful,  and  looked  into  the  face 
of  the  Frenchman  with  interest.  He  seemed 
honest  and  fair  minded  and  incapable  of  the  thing 
of  which  he  had  been  charged.  The  Colonel  was 
sure  that  he  was  speaking  the  truth,  but  he  was 
not  ready  yet  to  let  him  off  so  easily.  He  pro- 
ceeded to  tell  the  merchant  all  about  the  differ- 
ences between  England  and  the  colonies;  of  the 
oppression  and  injustice  of  the  mother  country; 
of  Lexington  and  Concord,  and  Bunker  Hill ;  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence;  of  the  war  in 
the  North,  and  in  the  southern  colonies;  of 
George  Washington;  of  the  surrender  of  Bur- 
goyne  and  the  hardships  of  Valley  Forge;  and 
lastly  of  the  alliance  with  France  and  how  the 
French  king  had  said  the  Americans  were  worthy 


108  The  Trail  Blazers 

of  their  independence.  He  concluded  by  strik- 
ing his  hands  on  the  table  and  saying,  "And, 
Monsieur  Cerre,  we  are  going  to  win  this  war 
against  England.  France  is  our  ally  and  all 
good  Frenchmen  here  and  elsewhere  should  stand 
by  us." 

The  Frenchman  confessed  that  in  these  remote 
regions  he  had  heard  little  and  cared  less  about 
the  war  then  in  progress.  He  was  just  a  mer- 
chant bent  on  making  money,  but  what  Clark 
had  told  him  interested  him  greatly.  He  then 
said  boldly  to  the  Colonel,  "There  is  but  one  way 
to  decide  whether  I  am  an  honest  man  or  an  in- 
human creature  such  as  you  have  been  told,  and 
that  is  to  face  me  with  those  who  accuse  me.  I 
am  ready  to  meet  them." 

"Step  into  the  next  room  and  close  the  door, 
and  I  shall  send  for  those  who  have  charged  you 
with  inciting  the  Indians." 

The  merchant  did  as  he  was  told,  and  a  soldier 
was  sent  to  call  those  who  had  made  the  accusa- 
tions. The  accusers  soon  appeared  attended  by 
a  large  number  of  citizens.  When  they  were  all 
before  the  Colonel  he  opened  the  door  and  called 
for  Cerre  to  come  out  and  hear  what  the  men  had 
to  say. 

Confronted  by  the  merchant  the  men  were  so 
astonished  that  they  were  thrown  into  a  panic. 


Winning  the  People  109 

He  was  one  of  the  leading  personages  of  Kas- 
kaskia,  in  high  regard  everywhere.  Those  who 
accused  him  were  by  no  means  in  his  class. 

"I  do  not  wish  to  condemn  any  man  unheard. 
Here  is  Monsieur  Cerre,  who  you  said  was  a 
wretched  instigator  of  barbarous  deeds  by  the 
savages.  What  have  you  to  say  now  that  he  is 
before  you?  If  he  is  guilty  he  shall  be  punished. 
If  not,  you  shall  retract  your  words  and  confess 
to  your  falsehoods." 

The  men  began  to  whisper  one  with  another. 
The  citizens  retired,  followed  one  by  one  by  those 
who  had  preferred  charges  against  the  merchant. 
Clark  waited  patiently  for  the  result.  Finally 
but  one  man  was  left  in  the  room.  Clark  turned 
to  him  and  inquired,  "What  have  you  to  say?" 

"Nothing,"  was  the  reply.  "We  but  repeated 
what  we  heard  others  say." 

"Who  are  the  others?"  demanded  Cerre,  indig- 
nantly. 

"I  do  not  know,"  replied  the  man. 

"There  are  no  others,  and  you  are  a  malicious 
slanderer.  You  owe  me  money  and  so  do  those 
who  came  with  you.  Out  upon  you.  You  know 
what  you  have  said  is  false." 

The  man  hung  his  head  in  silence  and  confu- 
sion. Clark  looked  at  him  with  contempt  and 
ordered  him  to  leave  the  room.     As  soon  as  he 


110  The  Trail  Blazers 

had  left,  the  Colonel  turned  to  the  merchant  and 
said: 

"Monsieur  Cerre,  I  am  convinced  you  are  an 
honest  and  fair-dealing  man.  I  am  sorry  I 
listened  to  those  people.  You  are  at  liberty  to 
return  to  your  family,  and  the  guard  shall  be 
taken  from  around  your  house  and  your  store." 

The  merchant  shook  hands  with  the  Colonel, 
and  departed.  Afterward  he  took  the  oath  of 
allegiance  to  the  American  government  and  was 
one  of  the  best  friends  Clark  had  in  Kaskaskia. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  CONQUEST  SPREADS 

THERE  were  other  French  towns  along  the 
Mississippi  that  Clark  knew  should  be 
brought  under  subjection  to  the  American  arms. 
Fifteen  miles  up  the  river  lay  Prairie  du  Rocher, 
nine  miles  beyond  that  was  St.  Philips,  and 
thirty-six  miles  further  was  the  considerable  vil- 
lage of  Cahokia.  All  of  these  were  smaller  and 
of  less  consequence  than  Kaskaskia,  but  still  they 
were  posts  of  such  size  that  their  conquest  would 
bring  the  Illinois  country  well  within  the  power 
of  the  American  commander. 

Affairs  at  Kaskaskia  being  reasonably  peace- 
ful, and  the  inhabitants  friendly  to  Clark  and  his 
men,  on  account  of  their  generous  treatment,  the 
Colonel  now  turned  his  attention  to  the  outlying 
posts. 

One  evening  about  dark,  Captain  Bowman 
with  thirty  men  on  horseback  started  along  the 
trail  leading  to  Prairie  du  Rocher.  No  one  of 
the  men  knew  where  the  party  was  bound.  Se- 
crecy had  always  been  the  strength  of  Clark's 

ill 


112  The  Trail  Blazers 

manoeuvres,  and  he  saw  no  reason  to  announce 
his  plans  to  anyone  except  Bowman  himself. 

While  the  inhabitants  of  Prairie  du  Rocher 
were  asleep  the  men  entered  the  town.  The 
noise  of  horsemen  riding  into  the  village  and  the 
whooping  of  soldiers  aroused  the  people  who 
were  as  much  astonished  and  terrified  as  ever  the 
Kaskaskians  had  been.  The  thirty  men  made 
as  much  noise  as  a  regiment.  It  was  the  same 
kind  of  night  surprise  and  had  the  same  result. 

"What  do  you  want  with  us?"  called  out  the 
people  from  their  houses,  for  there  were  no  sol- 
diers to  defend  the  settlement. 

"Come  out  and  swear  allegiance  to  the  Ameri- 
can flag  and  we  will  pass  on,"  answered  Bowman. 

"How  many  of  you  are  there?"  asked  the  citi- 
zens, thinking  they  might  withstand  a  few  ma- 
rauders. 

"Enough  to  hang  every  man  of  you  who  re- 
fuses," was  the  reply,  in  fierce  tones,  for  the 
Captain  had  learned  from  his  commanding  offi- 
cer that  threats  had  a  good  effect. 

The  people  flocked  from  their  little  houses  and 
in  a  few  hours  Bowman  had  made  them  swear 
allegiance  to  America,  and  surrender  their  village 
to  him.  Then  he  rode  on  to  St.  Philips  where 
he  surprised  the  people  in  the  same  way  and  took 
their  oaths  to  the  flag. 


The  Conquest  Spreads  113 

All  this  was  easily  done  for  those  places  were 
nothing  more  than  groups  of  a  few  houses  with- 
out defence,  the  inhabitants  were  unprepared 
for  an  attack,  and  were  terrified  at  the  noise  made 
by  Bowman's  men. 

Cahokia,  however,  was  larger  and  more  im- 
portant. About  one  hundred  families  lived 
there,  with  a  commander  in  charge.  It  was  about 
sixty  miles  up  the  river  from  Kaskaskia  and  was 
a  favorite  place  for  Indian  gatherings  and 
treaties. 

Bowman  proceeded  with  his  horsemen  up  the 
river  trail  the  night  after  the  taking  of  the  smaller 
villages  and  arrived  in  Cahokia  in  the  same  way 
he  had  entered  the  other  places.  It  was  morn- 
ing, however,  when  he  marched  through  the 
village  and  approached  the  house  of  the  Com- 
mander. 

Knocking  on  the  door,  he  called  out,  "Open 
in  the  name  of  Colonel  Clark,  and  the  Governor 
of  Virginia." 

The  Commander  was  astonished  as  all  the 
others  had  been.  Coming  out  to  meet  Captain 
Bowman  and  seeing  thirty  or  more  fierce  looking 
soldiers  on  horseback,  armed  with  long  rifles  and 
hunting  knives,  and  not  knowing  how  many 
-others  there  were,  he  immediately  replied: 

"I  do  not  know  Colonel  Clark  or  the  Governor 


114  The  Trail  Blazers 

of  Virginia,  but  I  see  there  is  no  use  in  opposing 
such  a  force  as  you  have.  What  do  you  demand 
of  me?" 

"I  demand  the  surrender  of  this  town,  and  that 
the  people  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
American  flag." 

The  Commander  complied  at  once.  He  knew 
almost  nothing  about  the  war  going  on  or  the 
difference  between  the  flags,  but  he  did  know  that 
any  refusal  on  his  part  might  be  disastrous  to 
himself  and  to  the  people  of  the  village. 

Bowman  went  through  the  town  and  assured 
the  people  that  no  harm  should  come  to  them. 
They  then  gave  his  men  such  food  and  supplies 
as  they  needed  after  their  long  ride  along  the 
dim  trails  through  the  night.  He  then  took  pos- 
session of  a  large  storehouse,  the  best  one  in  the 
village,  which  offered  some  chance  of  resistance 
in  case  of  attack. 

There  was  one  man  who  saw  how  small  a  force 
had  captured  the  town,  and  who  came  to  Bow- 
man with  a  threatening  voice.  "I  have  sent  a 
messenger  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  Indians  who 
are  just  outside  the  town  and  told  them  to  come 
in  and  tomahawk  your  entire  party.  They  are 
friends  of  ours  and  enemies  of  yours.  I  advise 
you  to  leave  here  at  once  and  let  this  town  alone." 

Bowman  was  not  to  be  frightened  by  the  threat, 


The  Conquest  Spreads  115 

and  ordered  the  man  seized  and  confined  in  a 
room  in  the  house.  Fearing  he  might  have  done 
as  he  boasted,  the  Captain  ordered  his  men  to  He 
with  their  guns  ready  during  the  night  to  repel 
any  attacks.  It  turned  out,  however,  that  the 
man  was  telling  a  falsehood,  and  that  no  such 
message  had  been  sent. 

In  the  morning,  Bowman  ordered  all  the  citi- 
zens to  appear  before  him.  He  then  explained 
to  them  the  best  he  could  the  meaning  of  the  war, 
the  purpose  of  the  British,  and  told  them  par- 
ticularly of  the  French  alliance.  After  he  had 
concluded,  he  let  them  know  that  it  would  be  well 
for  them  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
American  cause.  Though  his  words  were  per- 
suasive, they  contained  an  order  that  was  well 
understood.  "I  desire  to  treat  you  as  friends," 
he  said.  "If  you  decline  to  take  the  oath,  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  treat  you  as  enemies." 

This  was  enough  for  the  one  hundred  citizens 
of  that  village.  Before  ten  o'clock  all  of  them 
had  taken  the  oath  and  had  become  American 
citizens,  including  the  irate  man  who  had  threat- 
ened Bowman  with  the  savages. 

In  the  way  we  have  related,  without  shedding 
a  drop  of  blood,  without  injuring  a  single  citizen, 
without  the  loss  of  a  single  man,  Clark  had  ac- 
complished the  conquest  of  the  Illinois  country, 


116  The  Trail  Blazers 

and  had  made  the  inhabitants  of  the  principal 
town  and  two  smaller  villages  change  their  alle- 
giance from  the  British  to  the  American  cause. 

It  was  no  great  military  feat,  for  there  was  but 
little  opposition  to  his  movements.  He  had  so 
far  met  no  unfriendly  Indians,  and  the  people  of 
the  towns  and  villages  had  promptly  responded 
to  all  his  demands.  Any  great  show  of  opposi- 
tion by  a  determined  force  could  readily  have 
turned  him  back,  and  thwarted  his  purpose.  Any 
wrong  movement  on  his  part  could  have  aroused 
enough  people  to  have  made  his  position  perilous. 
The  marvel  of  it  all  is  that  he  and  his  small  force 
should  have  had  the  courage  to  march  so  far  into 
an  enemy's  country,  without  exact  knowledge  of 
what  they  were  going  to  meet,  and  how  they 
would  be  received,  and  how  they  could  maintain 
any  position  they  might  capture. 

Much  was  due  to  Clark's  kindness  of  heart, 
his  suavity  of  manner,  and  his  real  gentleness  in 
dealing  with  people.  His  enemies  he  could  con- 
fine and  even  punish,  but  the  people  at  large  re- 
ceived such  consideration  from  him  that  he  easily 
won  them  over  to  his  side.  After  all,  a  conquest 
without  battle  or  bloodshed  may  demand  a  higher 
order  of  genius  than  one  that  rolls  red  and  ruth- 
less over  life  and  property. 

It  was  now  high  time  for  Clark  to  turn  his 


The  Conquest  Spreads  117 

attention  to  the  savages  that  Hamilton  and  his 
agents  had  made  so  unfriendly  to  the  Kentucky 
and  the  Virginia  settlements.  To  win  over  five 
or  six  hundred  white  men  to  his  cause  was  one 
thing,  to  deal  with  the  thousands  of  Indians  all 
around  him  was  quite  another.  There  were  many 
nations  to  the  northward  and  northeastward 
along  the  Mississippi  that  were  a  real  menace  to 
his  little  band  of  sturdy  backwoodsmen  and  their 
French  allies.  It  was  necessary  to  gain  their 
friendship  and  to  do  so  quickly. 

The  Indians  were  somewhat  confused  as  to  the 
condition  of  affairs.  Up  to  this  time  the  French 
and  the  English  had  been  on  the  same  side,  and 
were  against  the  Americans.  Now  the  French 
traders  who  came  among  them  began  to  tell  tales 
on  the  British  and  to  counsel  the  chiefs  to  make 
friends  with  the  Long  Knives. 

"The  big  chief  of  the  Long  Knives  is  your 
friend.  He  is  bigger  and  stronger  than  the  pale- 
face at  Detroit.  He  has  conquered  all  this  coun- 
try from  the  lakes  down  to  the  rivers,  and  will 
punish  his  enemies.  He  has  a  house  in  Kaskas- 
kia,  where  his  warriors  live,  and  from  there  he 
can  strike  your  villages,  kill  your  young  men  and 
carry  away  your  wives  and  children.  If  he  is 
your  friend,  he  will  let  you  hunt  over  this  land 
and  will  protect  you  from  your  enemies." 


118  The  Trail  Blazers 

The  curiosity  and  fear  of  the  nearby  chiefs 
were  aroused.  The  head  men  of  the  Kaskaskias, 
the  Peorias,  and  the  Michiganies  came  into 
Kaskaskia  and  sought  Clark.  After  much  cere- 
mony they  made  a  treaty  with  him  and  declared 
him  to  be  their  Big  Chief  instead  of  the  paleface 
chief  at  Detroit. 

But  these  were  few  compared  to  the  many 
around  Cahokia  and  beyond.  It  was  Clark's 
opinion  that  Indian  treaties  had  not  been  carried 
on  in  a  proper  manner,  and  that  the  giving  of 
presents  and  the  making  of  promises  and  soft 
speeches  showed  weakness  instead  of  strength, 
and  that  the  Indians  were  to  be  subjected  more 
by  fear  and  threats  than  by  fair  words  and  gifts. 

He  knew  the  Indian  nature,  its  greed  and  its 
treachery,  its  love  of  finery  and  display,  its  seem- 
ing goodwill  behind  which  sometimes  lay  a  mur- 
derous intent.  Fear  was  the  controlling  force  in 
all  their  actions,  and  they  rarely  made  a  treaty 
unless  they  were  influenced  by  selfish  motives  or 
were  forced  to  do  so  by  a  display  of  superior 
strength.  Weakness  was  the  one  thing  that  the 
whites  could  not  show.  It  was  fatal  to  throw 
one's  self  upon  the  mercy  of  the  savages,  for  they 
had  no  mercy.  Therefore  the  Colonel  under- 
took to  overawe  the  savages,  but  still  he  intended 
no  harm  to  them  or  their  families. 


The  Conquest  Spreads  119 

Messengers,  both  French  and  Indian,  were  al- 
lowed to  go  to  the  tribes  along  the  Mississippi 
and  beyond,  suggesting  to  the  tribes  to  come  to  a 
gathering  at  Cahokia.  "The  Big  Chief  of  the 
Long  Knives  will  be  at  Cahokia  and  will  meet 
his  Indian  brethren,  and  make  a  treaty  with 
them."  Clark  was  careful  to  tell  the  messengers 
not  to  invite  the  savages  to  the  meeting,  but  to 
let  them  know  that  he  would  be  on  hand  and  they 
could  see  him  if  they  wished.  The  Colonel  de- 
sired the  gathering  to  come  from  the  Indian  side 
rather  than  from  any  suggestion  of  his.  He  in- 
tended for  the  tribes  themselves  to  seek  his  friend- 
ship, rather  than  for  him  to  be  seeking  theirs. 

Of  course  they  came  in  great  numbers.  The 
savages  flocked  into  Cahokia  by  the  hundreds, 
perhaps  a  thousand  or  more.  There  were  the 
Chippewas,  the  Ottawas,  the  Pottawattamies,  the 
Winnebagoes,  the  Sacs  and  the  Foxes,  and  a 
number  of  other  nations.  All  of  them  were  sup- 
posed to  be  at  war  with  the  Americans.  But 
Clark  knew  that  the  Indians  could  be  changed 
over  night,  and  that  the  enemies  of  today  were 
easily  the  friends  of  tomorrow. 

Clark,  with  a  guard  of  his  own  men,  accom- 
panied by  a  body  of  citizens  from  Kaskaskia, 
came  to  Cahokia  shortly  after  the  tribes  began 
to  arrive.     He  saw  with  amazement  the  great 


120  The  Trail  Blazers 

crowd  of  painted  savages  that  had  flocked  to  the 
town  to  see  the  Big  Chief,  to  hear  what  he  had 
to  say,  to  sue  for  peace  if  they  were  so  inclined, 
to  dance  around  the  council  fires,  to  eat  and 
drink,  and  go  through  all  the  ceremonies  of  mak- 
ing a  treaty.  Any  united  action  on  their  part 
could  easily  overwhelm  him.  His  was  but  a 
handful  compared  to  their  numbers  and  force. 

The  Colonel  went  to  the  storehouse  which  had 
been  turned  into  the  semblance  of  a  fort,  and 
shut  himself  up  for  awhile.  He  did  not  intend 
for  the  savages  to  see  him  until  they  were  con- 
vinced of  his  mysterious  power,  and  their  curi- 
osity was  aroused  to  a  high  pitch.  At  the  end 
of  the  second  day  he  sent  for  a  number  of  chiefs 
and  had  them  brought  before  him.  His  face  was 
stern  and  his  manner  severe.  "What  brings  you 
here  into  the  town  of  the  Big  Chief?  Do  you  not 
know  his  power  covers  all  this  land,  and  that  his 
knives  are  long  enough  to  reach  everywhere  ?  Do 
you  seek  for  his  friendship  or  do  you  want  war?" 
he  asked  of  them  as  they  stood  before  him  in  all 
the  bravery  of  paint  and  feathers. 

"We  have  heard  of  the  Big  Chief,  and  the  deeds 
of  his  warriors.  The  Indians  have  been  told 
many  lies  by  the  British.  We  believe  that  the 
French  tell  us  the  truth,  and  that  the  Long 
Knives  are  our  friends.     We  would  smoke  the 


The  Conquest  Spreads  121 

pipe  of  peace  with  the  Americans,"  replied  an 
old  warrior  who  seemed  to  be  the  spokesman. 

Clark  regarded  them  as  if  in  doubt.  "See  this 
rifle,"  said  he.  "It  is  but  one,  but  back  of  it  are 
thousands  like  it  which  the  Long  Knives  can 
bring  from  the  forest  at  night  and  whenever  they 
blaze  death  always  follows.  A  Long  Knife  never 
misses  his  aim.  But  the  rifles  of  the  Long  Knives 
never  blaze  except  at  an  enemy.  The  Great 
Father  down  in  Virginia  has  sent  me  here  to  pro- 
tect his  children  and  not  to  kill  them.  The  Brit- 
ish have  lied  to  you  and  told  you  that  we  would 
murder  you.  It  is  not  so.  If  you  want  peace 
you  can  have  it." 

The  chiefs  looked  at  one  another  and  grunted 
in  satisfaction.  They  were  already  impressed  by 
the  manners  of  this  young  warrior  and  a  new 
allegiance  was  already  much  to  their  liking. 

"See  this  knife,"  said  Clark,  removing  his  hunt- 
ing knife  from  his  belt  and  running  his  hand 
along  the  keen  edge.  "I  hold  its  handle  in  one 
hand,  but  its  blade  stretches  way  into  the  forest, 
and  along  the  rivers  and  creeks,  into  your  villages 
and  wigwams  where  the  women  work  and  the  chil- 
dren sleep.  It  is  long  and  sharp  and  there  is 
death  on  the  point  of  it  to  all  the  enemies  of  the 
Great  Father.  Once  it  falls  there  is  mourning 
in  the  tepee  of  the  Indian." 


122  The  Trail  Blazers 

The  chiefs  again  looked  at  one  another  and 
shook  their  heads.  They  held  up  their  open 
hands  before  them  to  show  Clark  they  carried 
no  weapons  in  their  grasp.  The  spokesman  re- 
sponded for  them: 

"The  French  have  told  us  all  about  the  Big 
Chief  and  the  Great  Father  in  Virginia.  We 
would  have  you  give  us  the  belt  of  peace  that  we 
might  show  it  to  the  others." 

But  Clark  was  in  no  hurry.  He  finally  dis- 
missed the  savage  leaders  and  turned  to  the  con- 
sideration of  other  affairs  for  the  time.  He  knew 
that  all  the  Indians  were  not  friendly  and  that 
the  promises  of  a  few  could  not  be  relied  on.  In 
fact  he  had  noticed  that  the  delegation  that  had 
just  left  had  cast  suspicious  eyes  around  the 
room  and  seen  with  surprise  that  only  five  or  six 
soldiers  were  guarding  him.  They  did  not  know 
that  the  Colonel  had  fifty  trusty  men  in  an  ad- 
joining room  ready  at  any  moment  to  prove  the 
meaning  of  the  name  that  had  been  given  to  them. 

Night  came  on  and  was  full  of  savage  revelry. 
Cahokia  was  crowded  with  the  braves  walking 
up  and  down  the  narrow  streets,  and  trading  at 
the  stores.  Gaudy  colored  cloth  and  gay  beads 
were  bought  and  made  to  decorate  greasy  and 
painted  bodies.  Every  now  and  then  a  brave 
would  strut  by,  followed  by  a  squaw  with  a 


The  Conquest  Spreads  123 

papoose  in  a  basket  on  her  back,  and  occasionally 
some  yell  from  a  group  of  young  warriors  indi- 
cated that  one  of  them  had  been  allowed  more 
than  his  share  of  rum.  On  the  edge  of  the  village 
fires  had  been  built  around  which  sat  the  mem- 
bers of  the  various  tribes  eating,  chanting  their 
rude  songs,  and  boasting  of  their  exploits  in  war. 
The  situation  was  not  a  happy  one  for  the  Ameri- 
cans. 

Bowman  and  Clark  were  in  conference  in  the 
fort.  Said  Bowman,  "It  all  depends  upon  how 
you  act,  Colonel.  Here  we  are  with  perhaps  two 
hundred  men  in  all,  in  a  friendly  village,  it  is 
true,  but  outside  there  are  many  times  that  num- 
ber of  Indians  who  are  to  be  won  over.  It  is  not 
a  matter  of  force  but  of  skill.  As  for  me  I  still 
fear  some  treachery." 

The  officers  returned  to  their  duties.  The 
night  wore  on  and  the  noise  of  the  savages  died 
down. 

Now  there  was  a  party  of  Indians,  strag- 
glers from  various  tribes,  by  the  name  of 
Meadow  Indians,  who  had  accompanied  the  other 
tribes  into  town,  and  who  had  been  promised  a 
reward  by  several  of  the  more  influential  and 
dangerous  chiefs  if  they  would  kill  Clark.  This 
they  readily  consented  to  try,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose of  carrying  out  their  design,  had  pitched 


124  The  Trail  Blazers 

their  camp  about  a  hundred  yards  from  Clark's 
headquarters.  They  were  an  evil-looking  lot, 
dirty  and  filthy,  but  not  being  very  numerous, 
the  Colonel  had  not  paid  any  especial  attention 
to  them,  and  in  fact  could  not  have  told  them 
from  many  others  who  were  not  much  better  off 
in  appearance. 

It  happened  that  a  creek  ran  nearby  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Colonel,  and  that  a  large  body 
of  Indians  were  camped  on  the  other  side,  while 
the  Meadow  Indians  were  on  the  same  side  as 
the  Colonel  and  his  guard.  The  creek  was  only 
knee-deep  but  the  bottom  was  muddy.  A  plot 
had  been  formed  by  the  Meadows,  in  order  to  win 
the  reward,  to  wade  across  the  creek  late  at  night, 
fire  off  their  guns  near  the  camp  of  the  Indians, 
then  recross  the  creek  and  fly  to  the  quarters  of 
Colonel  Clark  as  if  pursued.  There  they  were  to 
seek  admission  and  protection  inside  the  fort, 
where  they  were  to  put  Clark  and  the  guard  to 
death.  They  had  heard  that  the  Colonel  was 
protected  by  a  small  guard,  not  knowing  of  the 
reserve  he  kept  near  him  for  just  such  emer- 
gencies. 

Bowman  and  Clark,  with  several  Frenchmen, 
were  talking  over  the  perplexities  of  the  situation 
at  one  o'clock  at  night,  when  an  explosion  of  fire- 
arms across  the  creek  attracted  their  attention. 


The  Conquest  Spreads  125 

Instantly  the  guard  was  ready,  and  the  reserve 
in  the  room  nearby  awoke  and  seized  their  guns 
for  what  they  supposed  might  be  a  midnight  at- 
tack. 

In  a  few  minutes  a  dozen  savages  came  running 
to  the  door  of  the  quarters,  holding  their  guns 
in  their  hands  but  not  in  readiness  to  fire.  The 
moon  was  shining  and  they  could  be  easily  seen 
by  the  men  as  they  came  on.  By  the  time  they 
reached  the  door  the  whole  guard  was  out  and 
the  Indians  stopped  abruptly. 

"What  do  you  want  and  why  are  you  running 
here?"  demanded  the  Colonel. 

The  savages,  astonished  at  the  size  of  the  guard 
and  knowing  they  could  not  carry  out  their  pur- 
pose, nevertheless  stuck  to  the  story  they  had 
planned  and  stammered  out  that  they  had  been 
attacked  by  a  party  of  Indians  from  the  other 
side  of  the  creek  or  at  least  had  been  fired  upon, 
and  had  run  at  once  to  Clark  for  protection. 

"Those  guns  sounded  as  if  they  were  fired  on 
the  other  side  and  not  on  this  side.  The  noise 
was  further  than  your  camp,"  said  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  guard. 

"No — this  side,  back  of  our  camp — Winne- 
bagoes  came  over  to  kill  us — we  friends  of  the 
Long  Knives,"  was  the  grunted  and  disjointed 
reply. 


126  The  Trail  Blazers 

"Perhaps  it  is  nothing  but  a  few  drunken 
savages  firing  off  their  guns  to  frighten  these  fel- 
lows. Let  them  go  on  back  to  their  camp.  It 
is  a  subject  we  need  not  inquire  into,"  suggested 
Bowman. 

The  Frenchmen  knew  the  treacherous  nature 
of  those  particular  Indians  better  than  the  Vir- 
ginians knew  it.  They  were  not  willing  therefore 
for  the  matter  to  be  dismissed  so  easily. 

"Wait  a  moment,"  said  one  of  them.  "Let  us 
look  further  into  this  matter.  Will  someone 
bring  a  torch  or  lantern  that  we  may  see  these 
fugitives  better?" 

A  guard  brought  a  lantern,  and  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  moccasins  and  leggings  of  the 
Indians  were  quite  wet  and  muddy.  "Ah,  you 
have  crossed  the  creek  yourselves — perhaps  you 
have  fired  the  guns,"  cried  out  a  Frenchman. 

The  assassins  were  quite  confounded.  They 
had  not  prepared  for  this  emergency  and  did  not 
know  what  answer  to  make.  They  started  to 
escape  but  the  guard  seized  them  and  held  their 
guns  to  their  bodies  while  Clark  demanded: 

"Tell  me  the  truth.  What  does  this  mean?  I 
will  have  you  shot  if  you  tell  me  a  lie.  I  have 
means  of  knowing  when  you  tell  the  truth." 

The  savages  broke  down  in  dismay  and  told 
how  they  had  been  bribed  by  several  chiefs  to  kill 


The  Conquest  Spreads  127 

Clark  and  the  guard.  They  confessed  to  the 
whole  plot;  how  they  had  crossed  the  creek  and 
fired  off  the  guns,  and  had  returned  hoping  to 
pass  the  guard  which  they  supposed  to  be  only 
five  or  six  in  number;  how  they  were  to  murder 
all  in  the  house  and  raise  the  alarm  for  a  general 
uprising  against  the  Americans.  The  miscreants 
did  not  hesitate  to  disclose  all  their  intentions  to 
the  amazed  and  indignant  Americans  and 
Frenchmen. 

This  news  added  to  the  perplexity  of  the 
American  commander,  but  he  acted  with  his  usual 
promptness  and  firmness. 

"Take  these  scoundrels  to  the  prison  house  and 
keep  them  under  guard.  I  will  let  you  know 
later  what  to  do  with  them."  Whereupon  the 
downcast  body  of  would-be  murderers  was  led 
off  and  locked  up  in  the  prison  house  of  the  fort. 

In  the  morning,  when  the  news  of  the  attempt 
upon  the  life  of  Clark  was  known,  the  white  peo- 
ple of  Cahokia  took  alarm  and  the  whole  village 
was  under  arms.  Every  man  bore  a  gun  and 
while  they  were  less  numerous  than  the  savages, 
their  fierce  aspect  and  determined  manner  did 
much  to  overawe  the  Indians  and  to  show  them 
that  the  French  were  in  the  interest  of  Clark  and 
his  Long  Knives. 

The   Colonel  now  determined  upon  a  bold 


128  The  Trail  Blazers 

stroke.  Ordering  a  guard  of  fifty  men,  French 
and  Americans,  he  directed  them  to  go  to  the 
camps  of  the  tribes  and  arrest  the  chiefs  who  had 
instigated  a  plot  against  his  life  and  to  put  them 
in  prison.  This  the  guard  did  with  much  relish. 
Approaching  each  camp  the  guard  seized  the 
offending  chief  and  before  the  others  could  re- 
cover from  their  astonishment  their  leader  was 
dragged  off  at  the  point  of  a  bayonet  and  led  to 
the  fort.  In  a  short  while  all  the  principal  chiefs 
were  under  arrest,  and  the  tribes  were  without 
leadership. 

The  confinement  of  these  chiefs  threw  the  as- 
sembled Indians  into  great  confusion.  They 
wandered  through  the  village  in  groups  with 
anger  upon  their  faces,  but  everywhere  were  met 
by  armed  guards.  Fortunately  there  was  no  con- 
certed attempt  on  their  part  to  attack  the  fort  or 
the  town,  and  Clark  soon  discovered  that  he  had 
only  the  imprisoned  chiefs  to  deal  with. 

The  prisoners  asked  to  see  the  Colonel  but  he 
refused.  "No,"  he  said  to  the  messenger,  "You 
may  tell  them  they  are  a  set  of  villains,  that  they 
belong  to  the  English,  and  will  have  to  look  to 
them  for  help.  I  am  a  man  and  a  warrior,  and 
know  what  to  do  with  my  enemies.  I  shall  let 
them  talk  to  me  when  I  am  ready." 

He  sent  word  to  the  other  Indians  that  he  was 


The  Conquest  Spreads  129 

not  afraid  of  them  and  had  plenty  of  good  soldiers 
to  punish  them  if  they  dared  to  raise  a  war  whoop 
in  the  village.  When  night  came  on,  the  Colonel 
took  every  precaution  against  an  uprising,  but  to 
show  his  apparent  indifference  he  assembled  a 
number  of  men  and  ladies  of  the  village  and  at  a 
house  nearby  the  fort  gave  a  dance  that  lasted 
nearly  the  whole  night. 

When  morning  came,  he  called  a  grand  council 
of  all  the  chiefs  together.  They  came  with  some 
fear  not  knowing  what  Clark  intended  to  do  or 
say.  When  they  had  all  assembled  under  a  big 
tree  in  front  of  his  quarters  he  turned  to  a  body 
of  his  own  soldiers  and  said,  "Bring  here  those 
other  chiefs  who  plotted  to  kill  me  and  my  men." 

Soon  the  chiefs  were  brought  before  the  as- 
sembly. They  were  securely  tied  in  chains,  and 
guarded  by  sturdy  soldiers  who  pushed  them  for- 
ward in  front  of  the  others. 

"You  are  not  fit  to  sit  with  these  chiefs  here, 
for  you  intended  to  have  me  killed,"  said  the 
Colonel,  in  angry  tones.  "I  would  have  had  you 
put  to  death,  only  you  are  not  men  but  squaws, 
you  are  not  warriors  but  a  lot  of  women,  who 
should  put  on  dresses  and  be  made  to  work.  I 
think  I  shall  give  you  some  food  in  a  bag,  for 
you  do  not  know  how  to  hunt,  and  send  you  back 
to  your  own  country." 


130  The  Trail  Blazers 

The  Indians  hung  their  heads  in  shame,  not 
for  what  they  had  tried  to  do  but  because  they 
were  caught  and  to  an  Indian  that  is  the  greatest 
crime  of  all.  The  other  chiefs  looked  at  them  in 
derision,  while  the  assembly  waited  to  hear  what 
they  had  to  say. 

One  of  them  at  length  arose  and  held  out  to 
Clark  a  belt  of  peace,  and  began  to  make  a  speech 
full  of  explanations  and  apologies.  He  also  laid 
a  pipe  on  the  table  which  had  been  brought  out, 
and  on  which  the  Colonel  had  laid  his  sword.  But 
as  soon  as  Clark  saw  by  the  manner  of  the  speaker 
that  he  was  trying  to  explain  and  to  make  peace, 
he  turned  away  and  said  in  a  fierce  tone,  "The 
Long  Knives  never  make  a  treaty  with  women. 
They  do  not  have  to.  Only  with  warriors  do  they 
have  to  make  peace." 

Saying  this,  the  Colonel  tossed  the  peace  belt 
on  the  ground,  took  the  pipe  from  the  table  and 
broke  it  into  pieces,  and  then  lifted  the  sword  and 
held  it  in  his  hand.  All  the  Indians  were  much 
impressed  with  this  show  of  bravery,  but  the 
Colonel  himself  was  undecided  whether  the  as- 
sembly would  decide  with  him  or  turn  toward 
the  prisoners.  After  all  his  attitude  was  pure 
bluff,  for  what  could  a  few  hundred  white  soldiers 
do  against  a  thousand  savages  if  they  should 
sound  the  war  whoop  and  lift  their  hatchets? 


No,"  he  called  out.  "I  do  not  need  the  blood  of  these  warriors." 


The  Conquest  Spreads  131 

But  Clark's  firmness  prevailed.  After  turn- 
ing away  from  the  offending  chiefs  he  went 
among  the  other  Indians  and  began  to  talk  to 
them  about  the  way  the  English  had  deceived 
them,  and  about  the  power  of  the  Great  Father 
in  Virginia  who  had  sent  him  to  make  peace  with 
the  children  of  the  West. 

The  prisoners  bent  their  heads  together  as  if 
debating  some  question.  At  length  two  of  the 
youngest  of  them  advanced  toward  Clark,  sat 
down  on  the  ground  and  flung  their  blankets  over 
their  heads,  to  the  astonishment  of  all  the  other 
Indians  who  grunted  "Ugh!  Ugh!"  in  token  of 
satisfaction. 

Then  two  of  the  older  prisoners  arose  and 
spoke  to  the  assembly.  "If  the  Long  Knife  is 
angry  with  us,  we  are  sorry.  We  want  to  make 
peace  and  be  among  the  children  of  the  Father 
in  Virginia.  These  two  braves  offer  their  lives  as 
a  sacrifice  to  the  Long  Knife  that  he  may  make 
peace  with  the  others." 

When  Clark  saw  the  chiefs  raise  their  stone 
hatchets  and  prepare  to  dash  out  the  brains  of 
the  two  Indians  who  sat  with  heads  covered,  he 
sprang  forward  and  drew  his  sword,  and  stood 
before  the  helpless  creatures  on  the  ground. 

"No,"  he  called  out.  "I  do  not  need  the  blood 
of  these  warriors.    If  you  want  peace  you  can 


132  The  Trail  Blazers 

have  it.  Give  me  the  belt  in  my  hand,  and  if  you 
will  swear  to  be  good  children  of  the  Great 
Father,  we  shall  live  in  peace  and  you  and  your 
tribes  shall  escape  the  punishment  due  to  those 
who  love  the  English." 

The  chiefs  lowered  their  hatchets  and  Clark 
lifted  the  blankets  from  the  heads  of  the  young 
braves  and  told  them  to  stand  up,  which  they 
doubtless  were  most  willing  to  do.  He  then 
ordered  the  chains  to  be  taken  from  the  arms  of 
all  of  them  and  told  them  to  join  the  others,  for 
he  did  not  believe  they  were  old  women  and 
squaws  but  good  warriors. 

That  night  the  Colonel  said  to  Bowman,  "I 
was  never  so  affected  in  all  my  life  as  I  was  when 
I  saw  those  two  fine  Indian  men  cover  their  heads 
to  receive  the  tomahawk.  When  I  understood 
that  they  were  to  be  killed  as  a  peace  offering  to 
me,  I  believe  I  would  have  shot  the  first  man  that 
touched  them." 

The  making  of  the  treaty  began.  There  was 
much  smoking  of  pipes  that  were  passed  around 
the  circle  where  the  headmen  sat,  each  one  smok- 
ing a  little  and  passing  the  pipe  to  his  neighbor. 
There  were  long  silences  while  the  sons  of  the 
forest  sat  apparently  lost  in  thought.  Wrapped 
in  their  blankets  in  spite  of  the  heat,  their  dusky 
bodies  covered  with  paint  and  sleek  with  grease 


The  Conquest  Spreads  133 

and  oil,  their  faces  showing  no  emotion,  the  In- 
dians sat  for  hours  waiting  for  some  one  to  speak. 
It  took  a  long  time  to  make  a  treaty,  for  the 
savages  had  come  a  far  way  and  they  were  now 
in  no  hurry. 

Clark  and  his  officers  also  sat  in  the  council, 
and  smoked  with  the  chiefs.  After  several  hours 
of  silence  and  contemplation,  the  Colonel  rose, 
and  drew  from  his  jacket  a  helt  of  bloody  wam- 
pum, which  he  held  up  before  them.  He  then 
began  to  address  the  assembled  chiefs: 

"I  know  you  have  been  friends  of  the  English, 
and  that  you  have  taken  scalps  of  white  men  and 
women  along  the  borders  of  these  rivers.  You 
think  the  English  are  strong  and  can  protect  you 
from  all  the  Long  Knives  who  will  come  and  take 
vengeance  on  you  for  the  houses  you  have  burned 
and  the  people  you  have  killed.  If  you  love  the 
English  go  on  back  to  them,  but  I  tell  you  they 
are  weak  and  cannot  save  you.  The  Americans 
are  strong  and  can  put  you  to  death  for  your 
cruelties.  You  can  choose  between  the  English 
who  have  lied  to  you,  and  the  American  Father 
who  tells  you  the  truth  and  who  wants  you  to 
be  his  children.  If  you  want  to  go  back  to  the 
English  you  can  go,  but  you  must  take  this 
bloody  belt  with  you,  and  take  war  into  the  vil- 
lages of  the  Indians,  for  the  Long  Knives  will 


134  The  Trail  Blazers 

come  and  there  will  be  no  English  to  save  you. 
I  am  not  offering  you  peace,  I  am  offering  you 
war.  If  you  want  peace  you  must  ask  for  it. 
If  you  want  war  you  can  have  it." 

This  was  a  bold  speech,  and  Bowman  was 
afraid  that  at  any  minute  some  hot  headed  chief 
would  rise  and  let  out  a  whoop  for  a  general 
choice  of  war,  and  then  there  might  be  a  general 
massacre  of  all  the  white  men.  But  neither  he  nor 
Clark  nor  any  of  the  men  showed  fear,  but  with 
the  utmost  unconcern  remained  seated  for  the 
Indians  to  speak. 

The  braves  smoked  on  in  silence  pondering  the 
words  of  the  white  man.  At  length  one  of  the 
chiefs  who  seemed  to  have  much  influence  and 
for  whose  word  the  others  appeared  to  be  wait- 
ing arose  to  reply. 

"My  braves  have  never  taken  white  scalps, 
though  I  hear  they  are  paid  for  in  Detroit.  We 
have  never  fought  the  Americans  and  have  never 
burned  their  villages.  There  are  other  tribes 
whose  warriors  have  sold  scalps  to  the  English 
chief,  and  who  have  burned  the  homes  of  the 
Americans,  but  they  are  not  my  braves  nor  my 
warriors.  I  shall  not  raise  the  war  whoop  against 
the  Long  Knives  for  I  believe  they  are  our 
friends." 

To  this  several  of  the  chiefs  nodded  in  satisf ac- 


The  Conquest  Spreads  135 

tion,  after  which  there  was  another  long  silence. 
Then  an  old  warrior  rose  and  after  chanting  a 
rude  song,  he  spoke  of  the  many  victories  he  and 
his  braves  had  won.  He  declared  he  had  taken 
white  scalps  and  had  burned  the  homes  of  settlers 
in  the  forest.  "But  now,"  continued  he,  "I  have 
changed  my  heart,  and  I  want  to  hold  the  Long 
Knife  by  the  hand  and  call  him  brother." 

All  the  others  made  similar  talks.  Several  days 
were  consumed  in  the  speech  making  and  cere- 
monies. The  Indians  were  given  food  by  the 
people  of  Cahokia,  and  the  merchants  traded 
with  them  for  what  wares  they  had  brought  along. 
But  the  inhabitants  heartily  wished  the  treaty 
was  over  and  the  dusky  warriors  back  in  the 
forest. 

At  length  a  treaty  of  peace  was  drawn  up  in 
which  the  chiefs  of  ten  tribes  agreed  to  live  in 
friendship  with  the  Americans,  to  take  no  more 
scalps,  and  to  burn  no  more  villages.  From  the 
Ohio  to  Lake  Michigan  along  the  Mississippi  the 
hatchets  were  buried  and  the  birds  sang  their 
songs  of  peace  in  the  forest  of  the  red  men. 


CHAPTER  VI 

AFFAIRS  AT  VINCENNES 

WHILE  all  this  was  going  on  at  Kaskaskia 
and  at  Cahokia  over  on  the  Mississippi 
River,  Clark  was  not  unmindful  of  affairs  at  the 
village  of  Vincennes  over  on  the  Wabash.  It 
was  his  purpose  to  capture  the  fort  there  and 
thus  add  to  the  territory  he  had  gained  for  the 
American  flag.  He  sent  for  Father  Gibault,  the 
Catholic  priest. 

"You  see  the  Long  Knives  mean  the  French 
no  harm,  and  have  treated  you  with  kindness. 
We  are  all  Americans  and  this  is  our  soil,  because 
we  were  all  born  here.  You  have  influence  at 
Vincennes  over  the  people  there.  Will  you  go 
and  persuade  them  to  surrender  peaceably  to  the 
Americans?" 

The  priest  did  not  hesitate  to  do  as  the  Colonel 
requested.  Taking  with  him  a  few  Frenchmen 
he  set  out  across  the  prairies  to  the  village  where 
he  was  well  known  and  where  the  people  had 
for  him  the  highest  regard. 

With  him  went  Simon  Kenton,  the  scout.    His 

136 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  137 

spirit  was  too  restless  to  stay  long  in  one  place, 
and  he  was  anxious  to  be  on  the  move.  He  had 
said  to  Clark,  "Life  is  too  tame  for  me  here,  and 
there  are  too  many  people  around.  I  want  to  be 
in  the  woods  and  sleep  under  the  trees  and  hear 
the  wolves  howl,  and  feel  the  creep  of  Indians 
around.    Better  let  me  go  back  to  Kentucky." 

"All  right,"  replied  the  Colonel.  "I  want  some 
one  to  take  an  account  of  all  that  has  happened 
back  to  Harrodsburg,  and  you  are  the  man  to  do 
it." 

"Write  it  out  and  give  it  to  me,  and  you  can 
bet  that  it  will  get  there,  or  the  Indians  will  get 
me  on  the  way." 

Clark  wrote  out  an  account  of  the  capture  of 
Kaskaskia,  and  his  visit  to  Cahokia,  and  every- 
thing else  he  thought  worthy  of  mention,  and 
the  next  day  handed  it  to  the  scout,  who  tucked 
it  in  his  jacket  and  shouldering  his  gun  declared 
he  was  ready  to  go  with  Gibault  by  way  of  Vin- 
cennes, and  then  on  to  Kentucky. 

The  party  set  out  for  Vincennes.  Gibault 
knew  the  way  for  he  had  traveled  it  often  in  his 
ministrations  from  church  to  church.  Eut  the 
priest  traveled  slowly,  and  was  wont  to  rest  more 
frequently  than  Kenton  thought  necessary. 

"This  is  too  slow  for  me,"  he  said  one  day, 
"I  am  going  to  take  a  few  men  and  run  on  ahead 


138  The  Trail  Blazers 

and  do  some  scouting  on  my  own  account.  If  I 
find  anything  wrong  I  will  come  back  and  let  you 
know.    I  love  to  spy  around  anyhow." 

All  that  Gibault  said  could  not  dissuade  Ken- 
ton from  going  on  ahead  of  the  party.  With 
him  went  two  others.  In  true  scout  fashion  they 
proceeded  cautiously  along  looking  for  Indians, 
for  they  knew  well  that  savage  and  unfriendly 
tribes  were  likely  at  any  time  to  rise  up  and 
murder  white  men  wherever  they  found  them, 
especially  if  those  white  men  were  Americans 
and  from  Kentucky. 

Early  one  morning  as  Kenton  and  his  compan- 
ions came  over  a  small  hill  they  saw  a  camp  of  In- 
dians. Not  many  were  there  it  was  true,  but 
more  than  three  men  desired  to  attack.  Kenton 
whispered  to  his  companions,  "Be  still  now  and 
do  not  move,  for  I  see  five  or  six  horses  feeding 
not  far  from  the  camp  and  we  may  as  well  get 
them  if  we  can." 

The  Indians  were  cooking  breakfast,  their  guns 
stacked  against  a  tree.  They  were  evidently  pre- 
paring to  depart.  Kenton  wanted  the  horses  to 
continue  his  journey  for  he  was  not  far  from 
Vincennes,  and  eagerly  watched  the  savages  at 
their  work,  all  the  time  edging  up  to  the  place 
where  the  horses  were  tethered. 

He  was  a  master  scout  and  so  were  the  others 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  139 

with  him.  Lying  on  the  ground,  with  their  knives 
in  their  mouths,  they  dragged  their  guns  behind 
them,  making  no  noise  and  taking  their  time. 

The  Indians  ate  their  meal,  the  horses  stamped 
the  ground  to  warm  themselves  in  the  early  morn- 
ing air.  The  scouts  crawled  nearer  and  nearer  to 
the  place  where  the  animals  were  tethered.  In 
a  few  moments  the  three  scouts  reached  the 
horses  and  with  their  knives  severed  the  cords 
that  tied  them  to  the  trees. 

Then  with  one  terrific  yell  each  scout  leaped 
on  the  back  of  a  horse,  struck  him  in  the  side  with 
his  heels  and  rode  off  through  the  woods  before 
the  astonished  Indians  could  fire  their  guns  or 
start  in  pursuit. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  three  men  were  out  of 
sight  and  turned  in  their  places  to  see  what  was 
behind  them.  They  waited  to  meet  the  Indians 
if  they  came.  Down  the  trail  came  the  thunder 
of  hoofs,  for  the  savages  had  several  horses  left 
and  did  not  propose  to  allow  anybody  to  steal 
horses  but  themselves. 

Kenton  raised  his  rifle  with  his  body  turned, 
and  when  he  fired  the  foremost  Indian  fell  from 
his  saddle.  The  others  halted  and  raised  their 
own  guns,  but  just  then  the  two  other  scouts 
fired.  One  horse  plunged  with  a  broken  leg  and 
his  rider  fell  over  his  head  onto  the  ground.    The 


140  The  Trail  Blazers 

other  one  dropped  his  rifle  from  his  hand  and 
yelled  with  pain  of  a  wound  in  his  shoulder. 

"That's  right,  don't  kill  'em,"  called  out  Ken- 
ton. "Mine  isn't  hurt  much.  Only  a  scratch  on 
his  head." 

Then  the  three  scouts  dug  their  heels  into  the 
sides  of  their  horses  and  were  off,  leaving  the 
Indians  to  limp  back  to  camp  and  tell  the  story 
of  their  misfortune.  But  since  they  were  horse 
thieves  themselves  they  dared  not  make  out  a 
case  against  the  white  men. 

All  day  long  the  three  scouts  rode  through  the 
forest,  following  the  trail  to  Vincennes.  They 
made  as  little  noise  as  possible,  and  the  tread  of 
the  horses' feet  fell  lightly  on  the  soft  ground. 
At  noon  they  stopped  by  a  spring  and  watered 
their  horses  and  let  them  eat  a  little  grass.  They 
built  a  small  fire  and  cooked  for  themselves,  be- 
ing careful  not  to  let  any  smoke  ascend  beyond 
the  tops  of  the  trees. 

By  dusk  they  were  in  sight  of  the  lights  of  the 
little  village  of  Vincennes,  where  a  few  wooden 
houses  clustered  around  a  miserable  stockade 
fort.  It  was  very  different  from  the  splendid  city 
that  stands  there  today. 

Kenton  said  to  his  men,  "I  don't  know  whether 
the  British  are  there  or  not,  or  whether  the  peo- 
ple are  our  friends  or  not.     But  we  must  not 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  141 

take  any  chances.  Up  to  this  time  they  belong  to 
Hamilton  and  his  gang  of  scalpers.  So  we  may 
as  well  be  careful." 

"What  shall  we  do  with  these  horses?"  asked 
one  of  his  companions. 

"Leave  'em  right  here  in  the  woods,  for  we 
may  need  'em  again  soon,"  was  the  reply. 

The  horses  were  tied,  and  the  three  men  pro- 
ceeded cautiously  in  the  gathering  night.  Soon 
they  came  to  the  outskirts  of  the  village  where 
they  waited  patiently  until  the  inhabitants  had 
gone  to  sleep. 

"We  may  as  well  sit  down  and  eat  what  we 
brought  along  from  our  last  meal,"  said  Kenton, 
with  the  philosophy  of  the  backwoodsman.  "I 
haven't  ever  found  an  empty  stomach  a  good 
thing  to  carry  with  you  when  you've  got  any 
fighting  to  do." 

"Do  you  think  we've  got  a  fight  on  our  hands?" 
asked  one  of  the  men. 

"You  can't  always  tell  beforehand,  and  it's 
best  to  be  ready,"  was  the  wise  answer.  "Maybe 
not  tonight,  for  it  looks  pretty  peaceful  over  yon- 
der in  the  village." 

They  sat  for  two  hours,  and  until  every  light 
was  out.  Then  they  proceeded  with  silent  steps 
to  the  main  street  of  the  village,  skulking  in  the 
shadows  of  the  houses.     Fortunately  the  night 


142  The  Trail  Blazers 

was  dark,  and  the  three  men  had  long  since 
learned  to  move  with  the  stealth  of  the  wild  ani- 
mal. 

From  one  street  they  passed  to  another.  There 
were  no  guards,  no  sentinels,  no  sign  of  anyone 
on  the  lookout  for  an  attack  from  any  source. 

"It's  a  curious  kind  of  fort  and  town,  that 
never  posts  a  guard.  I  wonder  if  they  have  ever 
heard  of  Clark  and  his  men,"  whispered  Kenton. 

"I  guess  they  have  heard  of  him,  and  have 
made  up  their  minds  they  are  safer  without  a 
fight  than  with  one,"  replied  one  of  the  men,  in 
an  undertone. 

They  came  to  a  corral,  where  some  horses  had 
been  turned  loose  for  the  night. 

"Here's  where  we  get  some  more  horses,"  re- 
marked Kenton,  grimly.  "If  we  keep  on  we  can 
get  quite  a  bunch." 

Quietly  they  opened  the  corral  gate,  and  tak- 
ing the  ropes  that  held  six  horses  around  the  neck, 
led  them  outside  and  closed  the  gate  to  prevent 
the  others  from  stampeding. 

"Six  is  about  all  we  can  handle,  with  the  three 
we  already  have,"  explained  the  scout.  "Come 
on,  we  have  seen  enough  to  know  that  Clark  could 
take  this  town  by  himself,  if  Hamilton  does  not 
get  here  before  him." 

The  men  led  the  horses  along  the  street,  and 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  143 

out  of  the  town,  strangely  enough  without  being 
accosted  by  a  single  voice.  "Sound  sleepers, 
these  people,"  said  one  of  the  scouts. 

They  soon  reached  the  place  where  the  other 
horses  had  been  tied.  Mounting  those  the  three 
men  led  the  other  horses  behind  them  and  were 
soon  lost  in  the  darkness  as  they  went  their  way 
down  the  trail  to  Kentucky. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  these  horses?" 
asked  the  men  of  Kenton. 

"Send  'em  to  Clark  with  my  compliments." 

"Who's  going  to  take  'em?"  was  the  inquiry. 

"One  of  you,  unless  we  find  someone  else,"  re- 
plied Kenton. 

The  men  rode  on  for  the  night,  and  camped 
next  day  on  the  banks  of  the  White  River.  Here 
they  rested  and  kept  as  much  hidden  as  they  could 
for  they  were  always  in  danger  of  running  into  a 
band  of  hostile  savages. 

They  busied  themselves  in  making  a  raft  upon 
which  they  could  place  their  guns  and  provisions, 
while  the  horses  would  swim  over.  In  the  after- 
noon late,  the  raft  was  ready,  and  on  it  everything 
was  loaded  that  the  men  had.  Embarking  care- 
fully they  pulled  the  horses  into  the  water,  who 
swam  easily,  and  the  party  headed  downstream 
and  across.  There  was  no  chance  of  going 
directly  over  the  river. 


144  The  Trail  Blazers 

A  few  hundred  yards  and  they  came  to  a  bend 
in  the  river,  and  to  their  amazement  a  camp  of 
Indians  was  in  view. 

"Let  go  the  horses  and  head  the  raft  back  to 
the  shore,"  ordered  Kenton  at  once.  Quickly  the 
horses  were  turned  adrift,  and  the  three  men  bent 
to  their  poles  to  keep  their  raft  from  going  into 
the  camp  of  the  savages  who  had  already  caught 
sight  of  them. 

The  horses  swam  straight  away  and  directly 
for  the  Indians  who  were  standing  on  the  bank 
and  waving  their  hands.  As  the  animals  climbed 
up  the  bank  the  ropes  were  caught  and  all  nine 
of  the  horses  were  led  away,  while  Kenton  and  his 
men  were  making  desperate  efforts  to  gain  the 
shore. 

"That's  hard  luck,  to  lose  those  beasts  that  way, 
after  we  had  so  much  trouble  to  catch  'em,"  re- 
marked Kenton,  with  a  smile. 

"We  caught  'em  just  about  as  easy  as  we  lost 
'em,"  was  the  reply.  "If  those  devils  don't  catch 
us  we  will  be  lucky." 

By  this  time  the  raft  had  struck  the  bank,  and 
the  men  climbed  out,  grabbing  their  guns  and 
packs  and  putting  off  into  the  bushes.  The  In- 
dians had  seen  them  and  launching  their  canoes 
shot  across  the  stream  with  incredible  swiftness. 
With  long,  swift  strokes  they  forced  their  frail 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  145 

craft  over  the  river  until  within  a  few  yards  of 
the  place  where  Kenton  and  his  men  had  landed. 
But  the  scouts  had  no  idea  of  provoking  battle 
with  five  or  six  times  their  number,  and  were  al- 
ready disappearing  in  the  forest. 

After  going  about  a  mile  they  halted.  No 
sign  or  sound  of  the  savages  came  to  their  eyes 
or  ears.  "I  guess  they  stopped  before  they  went 
far,"  said  Kenton,  "for  an  Indian  don't  want  to 
be  caught  in  an  ambush,  and  he  is  afraid  of  an 
enemy  he  cannot  see." 

In  fact  the  Indians  had  turned  back,  leaving 
the  fugitives  alone,  and  content  with  their  cap- 
ture of  the  horses. 

Kenton  and  his  men  traveled  on  foot  for  many 
days  and  finally  reached  Kentucky  in  safety. 
He  proceeded  at  once  to  Harrodsburg  and  gave 
the  precious  dispatches  which  the  Colonel  had  en- 
trusted to  him,  safely  into  the  hands  of  the  Com- 
mander of  that  post. 

While  all  this  was  going  on,  Father  Gibault 
and  his  party  were  traveling  slowly  toward  Vin- 
cennes. The  Frenchmen  were  never  in  a  hurry, 
and  knowing  every  step  of  the  way,  and  not 
afraid  of  the  Indians,  they  took  their  time. 

They  arrived  several  days  after  the  night  visit 
of  Kenton  and  their  first  question  was  if  any  one 
had  seen  the  three  scouts  who  had  come  on  ahead. 


146  The  Trail  Blazers 

"Not  a  soul  has  visited  the  place.  A  band  of 
prowling  Indians  broke  into  the  corral  and 
carried  off  six  of  our  horses,  a  few  nights  ago,  but 
we  dared  not  stop  them  for  fear  of  our  lives. 
We  heard  them  but  it  was  too  late,"  was  all  the 
information  the  people  had. 

Father  Gibault,  knowing  something  of  the 
habits  of  Kenton  and  his  men,  had  his  doubts 
about  the  Indians  stealing  the  horses  but  he  kept 
his  own  counsel. 

The  good  priest  led  the  people  to  the  church 
and  as  was  his  custom  held  divine  worship.  Then 
he  visited  the  sick  of  the  village  and  then  the  old 
and  infirm.  Then  he  called  the  people  together 
at  the  fort  and  told  them  all  about  Clark  and  the 
capture  of  Kaskaskia,  and  the  treaty  at  Cahokia. 

The  good  father  was  plied  with  many  questions 
about  the  Americans. 

"And  are  the  Long  Knives  so  terrible,  that 
they  are  fiercer  than  the  savages  themselves?"  the 
people  demanded. 

"They  are  not  fierce  to  their  friends,  though 
they  may  be  to  their  enemies,"  discreetly  replied 
the  priest. 

"We  hear  they  closed  the  church,  and  shut  up 
all  the  French  in  their  houses,  and  took  all  their 
food  away  from  them." 

"You  have  heard  a  lot  of  nonsense,"  was  the 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  147 

reply.  "They  have  not  disturbed  the  church,  and 
affairs  go  on  as  they  always  did." 

"But  why  should  we  change  to  the  American 
flag?"  was  the  eager  question. 

"Because  it  is  your  country,  and  your  flag. 
You  were  all  born  here,  and  your  children  were 
born  here,  and  the  British  do  nothing  but  oppress 
you.  Have  you  heard  nothing  of  the  great  war 
that  is  going  on  for  the  independence  of  these 
colonies?" 

The  people  confessed  that  they  had  heard  little 
and  that  was  what  the  British  officers  who  had 
come  from  time  to  time  to  Vincennes  had  told 
them.  Their  ideas  of  the  causes  of  the  war  were 
vague  and  their  knowledge  of  the  situation  was 
much  confused. 

Gibault  then  explained  to  them  about  the  op- 
pression of  the  King  of  England  upon  the  colo- 
nies, about  the  unjust  taxes  and  the  various  laws 
that  had  been  passed  by  Parliament  to  the  hurt 
of  the  American  people.  He  told  them  of  the 
growth  of  the  colonies  along  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board, and  how  this  country  was  going  to  be  a 
great  nation  some  day,  and  needed  to  have  its 
own  rulers  and  make  its  own  laws. 

"And  last  but  not  least,"  concluded  the  priest, 
"France  has  made  an  alliance  with  the  colonies 
to  help  them  fight  the  British  in  this  war  for  in- 


148  The  Trail  Blazers 

dependence.  We  are  Frenchmen  and  why  should 
we  not  go  with  France  in  her  union  with  Amer- 
ica ?" 

The  inhabitants  quickly  became  enthusiastic 
for  the  cause  of  the  Long  Knives,  and  for  Amer- 
ica. Marching  in  a  body  to  the  little  wooden 
church,  they  all  knelt  down  and  solemnly  swore 
allegiance  to  the  American  flag  and  declared 
they  threw  in  their  lot  with  France  and  America 
and  were  done  with  the  English.  Then  the  old 
and  perfectly  worthless  fort,  which  was  named 
Fort  Sackville,  was  entered  by  the  citizens  and 
the  British  flag  was  taken  down,  wrapped  around 
a  large  stone  and  thrown  in  the  river.  The  Amer- 
ican flag  was  raised  in  its  place  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  the  Indians,  who  looked  on  in  surprise 
not  knowing  and  not  caring  anything  about  this 
change  of  flags  from  one  design  to  another. 

All  this  happened  very  peaceably  because 
there  was  no  British  garrison  there  at  the  time. 
The  Governor  had  left  the  village  some  time 
before  the  arrival  of  Father  Gibault,  and  with- 
drawn what  few  British  troops  he  had  with  him. 

The  citizens  now  felt  they  had  the  Americans 
back  of  them  and  were  no  longer  afraid  of  the 
British  or  of  the  savages.  They  assumed  a  bold 
air  toward  the  few  Indians  who  came  to  the  vil- 
lage, attracted  by  the  arrival  of  the  French  mes- 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  149 

sengers  from  Kaskaskia.  Father  Gibault  said 
to  them: 

"The  old  father,  the  King  of  France,  has  come 
to  life  again  and  is  angry  with  his  children  for 
fighting  with  the  British.  He  will  punish  them 
quickly  unless  they  make  peace  with  the  Ameri- 
cans who  are  his  brothers.  The  English  are  too 
weak  now  to  fight  any  longer,  but  the  French  and 
the  Long  Knives  are  strong,  and  can  punish  the 
British  and  all  the  Indians  who  make  treaties 
with  them." 

The  Indians  began  to  think  seriously.  There 
was  one  chief  called  the  "Big  Gate"  whose  tribe 
held  possession  of  the  lower  part  of  the  Wabash 
River,  who  looked  on  and  listened  with  some  con- 
cern. 

"Do  you  say  that  the  French  father  has  come 
to  life  again?"  he  asked  of  Gibault. 

"Yes,  he  has  come  to  life  again,  and  is  calling 
for  his  children  along  the  Wabash.  You  were 
faithful  to  him  long  ago,  as  was  your  father,  'Old 
Tobacco,'  and  he  calls  you  now  to  help  drive  the 
British  back  across  the  great  water  and  leave  all 
this  land  to  you  and  to  the  Americans." 

The  Big  Gate  was  fond  of  Father  Gibault, 
and  had  been  with  him  often,  and  listened  to  his 
preachings  and  to  his  counsels.  When  he  heard 
all  that  the  priest  had  to  say,  he  turned  away,  lost 


150  The  Trail  Blazers 

in  wonder  but  keeping  his  own  thoughts  to  him- 
self. 

In  a  few  days  Gibault  with  his  party  went  back 
to  Kaskaskia,  accompanied  by  several  of  the  citi- 
zens of  Vincennes.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
Clark  was  rejoiced  at  the  reports  the  priest 
brought  him  of  the  impression  that  was  made 
upon  the  people  he  had  visited. 

The  next  day  the  Colonel  sent  for  Captain 
Helm.  "I  have  few  men  to  spare,  but  some  one 
must  go  to  Vincennes  and  occupy  that  place,  and 
hold  the  people  to  their  allegiance.  I  can  give 
you  one  or  two  men,  and  with  them  you  must  do 
your  best." 

Helm  saluted  the  Colonel,  and  declared  that  if 
he  could  take  two  friends  of  his  it  would  be  com- 
pany and  that  was  all.  "So  far  as  defence  is 
concerned,  three  men  are  as  good  as  a  dozen  if 
the  British  come  down  from  Detroit  to  attack 
us,"  said  he  to  Clark. 

"You  are  a  good  soldier  and  a  brave  man.  Go 
on  and  hold  Vincennes  until  I  can  get  there.  If 
Hamilton  captures  you,  you  may  have  a  good 
time  as  his  prisoner  or  you  may  lose  your  scalp," 
was  the  smiling  reply  of  his  commander. 

Helm  set  out  the  next  day,  taking  his  two  com- 
panions with  him.  In  due  time  they  reached 
Vincennes,  and  entered  the  city  with  some  degree 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  151 

of  ceremony.  "Here  are  our  letters  from  Col- 
onel Clark  giving  us  authority  to  take  charge 
here.  Show  us  your  fort  and  then  we  will  decide 
what  to  do."  Accordingly,  the  people  welcomed 
Helm  and  his  companions  who  began  their  duties 
as  officers  of  the  American  forces  in  command  of 
that  place. 

Near  the  town  was  a  tribe  of  Indians  known 
as  the  Piankeshaws.  Their  chief  was  the  Big 
Gate  of  whom  we  have  already  spoken.  He  was 
so  influential  with  the  other  tribes  that  his  consent 
was  necessary  for  anything  to  be  done  among  the 
Indians  of  the  lower  Wabash. 

He  was  a  solemn  Indian,  of  great  dignity,  and 
with  but  little  to  say,  but  when  he  had  made  up 
his  mind  or  given  his  word  he  could  act  with 
considerable  vigor.  To  him  Helm  had  a  letter 
from  Clark,  for  the  Colonel  was  anxious  to  secure 
the  friendship  of  the  Big  Gate. 

Sending  a  few  of  the  inhabitants  over  to  the 
camp  of  the  Piankeshaws,  he  invited  him  to  come 
to  Vincennes  to  get  the  letter.  The  Big  Gate 
came  in  all  his  finery  and  dignity  and  Helm  read 
him  the  message,  offering  him  the  friendship  and 
protection  of  the  Americans,  and  telling  him  the 
British  were  weak  and  could  no  longer  be  their 
strong  friends. 


152  The  Trail  Blazers 

The  Big  Gate  listened  in  silence,  and  after 
awhile  spoke  up : 

"I  have  heard  from  Father  Gibault  of  the  Big 
Chief  of  the  Long  Knives.  I  am  glad  to  see  one 
of  his  chiefs  here  near  my  people.  It  was  at 
Vincennes  that  I  made  a  treaty  with  the  British, 
but  I  have  never  loved  them.  They  are  not  like 
the  French  who  laugh  and  take  us  by  the  hand. 
They  scowl  and  use  harsh  words.  I  think  I 
should  like  the  Long  Knife  to  be  my  brother  and 
I  will  listen  to  what  he  says  in  his  letter.  But 
it  will  take  several  days  for  me  to  find  out  what 
my  wise  men  say.     I  will  let  the  chief  know." 

The  Big  Gate  bowed  with  great  solemnity. 
Helm  bowed  in  return.  The  Indian  drew  his 
long  cloak  around  him,  and  moved  off  with 
courtly  dignity.  Helm  and  his  companions 
stood  up  until  the  procession  filed  away.  Such 
was  the  manner  of  the  Indians  when  they  desired 
to  be  impressive. 

In  a  few  days,  Helm  was  invited  to  return  the 
visit  of  the  Big  Gate  and  go  to  the  village  of  the 
Piankeshaws.  There  he  went  with  as  much  dig- 
nity as  he  could  muster,  though  as  a  soldier  he 
was  not  much  inclined  to  ceremony. 

On  his  arrival,  he  found  the  Big  Gate  dressed 
in  all  his  finery,  surrounded  by  his  braves  and 
seated   at   a    council   fire    peacefully    smoking. 


A  fairs  at  Vincennes  153 

Helm  and  his  companions  sat  down  in  silence 
and  for  several  hours  not  a  word  was  spoken. 
The  Indians  smoked  and  looked  in  the  fire  and 
the  white  men  did  the  same. 

Then  the  Big  Gate  arose  and  asked  Helm  to 
tell  them  all  about  the  war  between  the  Ameri- 
cans and  the  British.  This  Helm  proceeded  to 
do,  putting  the  Americans  in  the  best  light  he 
could.  He  then  told  him  about  Clark  and  his 
soldiers  and  how  they  had  captured  Kaskaskia, 
and  made  a  treaty  at  Cahokia,  and  how  the 
Great  Father  in  Virginia  wanted  all  his  Indian 
children  to  help  him  drive  the  British  away. 

While  Helm  was  talking  the  Big  Gate  was 
thoughtful,  while  the  other  Indians  grunted  and 
nodded  their  heads  in  approval.  When  Helm 
finished  there  was  silence  for  a  long  time  and  then 
the  chief  arose  from  his  seat  and  began  his  speech. 

"We  have  considered  the  case,  and  have  heard 
why  the  British  have  been  on  the  warpath  for  the 
Long  Knives.  They  have  told  us  many  things 
about  our  brothers,  but  we  now  know  they  were 
lies.  This  is  all  our  country,  we  speak  the  lan- 
guage of  one  another.  This  is  our  forest,  these 
are  our  mountains,  these  are  our  rivers.  Let  the 
British  go  to  their  Father  and  let  us  alone.  The 
sky  has  been  dark  before,  but  now  it  is  bright 
because  the  Big  Chief  of  the  Long  Knives  has 


154  The  Trail  Blazers 

sent  us  messages  of  peace.  We  will  spill  no 
more  blood  of  our  brothers.  We  will  take  them 
all  by  the  hand." 

Then  in  true  Indian  fashion  the  Big  Gate  laid 
aside  his  dignity  and  his  solemnity.  Throwing 
off  his  robe  of  skins  richly  embroidered  with 
quills,  and  rattling  with  the  teeth  of  animals,  he 
cleared  himself  of  most  of  his  clothing.  Jumping 
up  he  beat  his  breast,  and  declared  he  was  a  war- 
rior for  the  Big  Chief,  and  calling  on  the  others 
to  dance,  he  led  them  in  a  wild  procession  around 
the  council  fire,  chanting  the  rude  melody  of  the 
forest. 

While  this  was  going  on  at  Vincennes,  Clark 
over  at  Kaskaskia  was  having  other  troubles. 
He  was  having  a  hard  time  paying  his  soldiers. 
They  were  out  of  money,  and  there  was  no  way 
to  buy  food  and  ammunition,  and  the  Colonel 
was  not  willing  to  take  it  from  the  stores  of  the 
merchants.  Some  of  his  soldiers  were  threaten- 
ing to  return  to  Virginia  for  their  term  of  enlist- 
ment was  expiring,  and  they  were  homesick  for 
their  families  and  friends.  Clark  was  in  great 
perplexity,  and  hardly  knew  what  to  do.  He  sat 
in  his  room  in  deep  concern. 

One  of  his  soldiers  brought  word  that  a  visitor 
had  arrived  and  wished  to  see  him.  "Show  him 
in,"  said  the  Colonel,  without  much  interest. 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  155 

There  entered  a  well  dressed  and  prosperous 
looking  man,  who  announced  himself,  "I  am 
Francis  Vigo,  and  my  home  is  at  St.  Louis  down 
the  river.  I  am  a  merchant,  and  have  heard  of 
your  exploits.  We  are  friends  of  the  Americans 
m  our  little  trading  post,  Spanish  though  it  be, 
and  I  have  come  over  to  see  you." 

Clark  was  always  cordial  and  gracious  to 
strangers  and  arose  to  greet  his  visitor.  After 
inquiring  about  St.  Louis  and  explaining  the  situ- 
ation at  Kaskaskia,  he  found  Vigo  much  inter- 
ested in  his  plans. 

"And  do  you  intend  to  hold  all  this  territory 
for  your  United  Colonies?"  asked  the  Spaniard. 

"I  do.  The  American  flag  has  come  here  to 
stay.  When  this  war  is  over  I  intend  for  all 
this  territory  to  be  a  part  of  my  country.  That 
is  what  I  am  here  for." 

"Good,"  said  the  trader,  who  had  no  love  for 
the  British.  "But  can  you  do  so  with  this  small 
body  of  men?" 

"Ah,  that  is  now  my  perplexity.  Some  of 
them  are  already  tired  of  the  inactivity  of  the 
service.  I  cannot  be  always  on  the  march  nor 
can  I  conquer  a  village  every  day.  Besides  that, 
our  money  is  exhausted  and  there  comes  no  word 
from  Virginia." 


156  The  Trail  Blazers 

"If  they  go  home,  what  then?"  was  the  ques- 
tion. 

"I  am  expecting  to  hear  that  Hamilton  is  mov- 
ing against  Vincennes.  I  hear  that  he  is  having 
councils  with  the  Indians,  giving  them  presents, 
and  offering  bounties  for  the  scalps  they  may 
bring  in.  I  have  only  three  men  at  Vincennes, 
Helm  and  two  others,  and  the  militia  there  is 
weak.  If  Hamilton  gets  to  Vincennes  and  my 
troops  are  unpaid  and  mutinous  then  this  country 
is  lost  again.  If  he  takes  Vincennes,  which  he 
can  easily  do,  I  have  got  to  take  it  from  him. 
And  that  I  am  going  to  do  if  I  have  to  take  it  by 
myself  with  these  bare  hands,"  said  Clark,  with 
a  great  deal  of  energy. 

The  visitor's  face  flushed  with  admiration. 
"You  are  a  brave  young  man,  and  deserve  to 
succeed." 

After  awhile  the  visitor  withdrew  and  betook 
himself  to  his  lodgings.  The  next  day  he  re- 
appeared at  Clark's  house  and  asked  for  him. 
Again  he  was  admitted  as  cordially  as  before. 

"I  wish  to  have  a  part  in  the  conquest  of  this 
territory  for  America  and  I  am  here  to  offer  you 
all  the  money  you  need  to  pay  off  the  troops. 
I  have  a  partner  in  St.  Louis  who  should  feel  as 
I  do.  How  much  do  you  need?"  he  said  to  the 
Colonel. 


A  fairs  at  Vincennes  157 

Clark's  face  showed  his  surprise  and  his  de- 
light. Taking  a  paper  from  his  pocket  he 
explained  to  the  merchant  that  he  owed  his  men 
the  equivalent  of  twelve  thousand  dollars. 

"You  shall  have  it,  and  all  in  gold,"  were  the 
prompt  words.  "I  leave  today  for  St.  Louis, 
but  before  the  week  is  out  my  messenger  will  be 
here  with  the  money." 

Clark  seized  the  Spanish  merchant  by  the  hand, 
and  there  was  moisture  in  his  eyes  as  he  spoke. 
"I  do  not  know  whether  my  country  will  ever 
pay  you,  or  pay  me,  or  whether  they  will  ever  be 
able  to  pay,  but  you  will  always  know  you  had 
your  share  in  this  great  enterprise.  Without 
your  aid  I  could  not  pay  my  soldiers,  and  could 
not  maintain  them  in  this  country.  Without 
my  soldiers  I  could  not  conquer  Hamilton.  Sir, 
you  have  done  a  great  service." 

Vigo  replied  quite  as  cordially:  "Spain  has 
never  had  any  reason  to  love  England,  but  has 
every  reason  to  love  this  country  to  whose  dis- 
coverer she  was  the  first  to  lend  her  aid  and  en- 
couragement.    I  am  glad  to  do  my  part." 

Clark  was  thoughtful  for  a  moment,  and  turn- 
ing to  his  visitor,  said  to  him,  "I  have  a  young 
lad  among  my  troops  who  should  see  a  little 
more  of  the  world  than  can  be  seen  here  in  Kas- 
kaskia.     Would  you  mind  taking  him  to   St. 


158  The  Trail  Blazers 

Louis  and  letting  him  see  your  town  and  return 
with  your  messenger  ?" 

"I  shall  be  very  glad  to  do  that,  and  you  may 
send  the  lad  to  me  tomorrow  morning,  for  I  shall 
be  on  my  way  by  noon." 

And  with  that  the  two  men  shook  hands  and 
separated. 

Among  those  who  had  followed  Clark  on  his 
long  journey  from  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  to  Kas- 
kaskia  was  a  young  Irish  soldier  hardly  more 
than  seventeen  years  of  age,  who  for  lack  of  a 
better  name  we  will  call  Tim.  He  was  so  slender 
that  he  hardly  weighed  more  than  a  hundred 
pounds,  and  often  the  big  men  of  the  company 
amused  themselves  by  holding  him  up  and  toss- 
ing him  from  one  to  another.  Everybody  loved 
him,  for  he  was  good-natured  and  brave,  and  as 
good  a  shot  as  any  Long  Knife  in  the  company. 
He  it  was  that  was  lifted  over  the  gate  of  the 
fort,  the  night  that  Clark  entered  Kaskaskia. 

Since  their  occupancy  of  the  town,  a  rude  drum 
had  been  found  and  it  was  Tim's  duty  to  act  as 
drummer  boy,  whenever  the  Colonel  called  out 
the  men  to  be  drilled.  When  on  the  march  the 
men  needed  no  drum,  nor  would  they  have  al- 
lowed such  noise  if  they  had  one. 

Clark  had  become  fond  of  the  lad,  and  had 
often  watched  him  with  the  men  and  wondered 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  159 

how  it  happened  that  he  had  come  with  them. 
The  boy  loved  Clark  with  all  his  soul.  He  asked 
no  greater  privilege  than  to  sit  near  him  and  hear 
him  talk,  or  go  with  him  on  his  rounds  of  the  vil- 
lage, or  be  sent  upon  any  errand  in  his  service. 
His  adoration  for  his  commander  was  so  great, 
that  he  would  not  allow  any  of  the  men  to  com- 
plain of  hardship,  or  say  anything  about  the 
Colonel  except  in  terms  of  the  utmost  respect. 

It  was  Tim  that  Clark  had  in  mind  to  go  to 
St.  Louis  with  Vigo.  When  sent  for,  the  boy 
came  bounding  into  the  house  where  Clark  had 
his  quarters. 

"Tim,  I  want  you  to  go  on  an  errand  to  St. 
Louis  with  a  gentleman  named  Vigo,  who  will 
take  care  of  you  there  and  send  you  back  with 
a  messenger  bringing  home  a  valuable  package. 
Would  you  like  to  go?" 

"How  long  will  I  be  gone,  sir,  and  are  you 
quite  sure  I  am  to  return?  I  shall  not  like  to 
leave — the  men — long."  The  boy  wanted  to 
say  leave  the  Colonel,  but  dared  not  show  his  feel- 
ings too  plainly. 

"You  will  be  gone  probably  for  a  week,  but 
it  will  be  something  for  you  to  do  and  there  will 
be  something  for  you  to  see.  Besides  that  you 
may  have  a  chance  to  be  of  service  to  me." 


160  The  Trail  Blazers 

"Then  I  am  ready  to  leave  at  a  moment's 
notice.     Where  shall  I  find  Mr.  Vigo?" 

Clark  gave  the  boy  other  directions  and  a  few 
parting  words  and  let  him  go  his  way  for  the 
night.  The  next  day  at  noon  Tim  and  Vigo  set 
out  on  the  trail,  leading  up  the  Mississippi  to  the 
village  of  St.  Louis.  On  the  way  Tim  learned 
a  good  deal  about  the  young  settlement  of  the 
French  at  St.  Louis,  for  he  was  of  an  inquiring 
mind  and  Vigo  was  a  willing  talker. 

"Our  town  is  only  fourteen  years  old  now," 
said  he  to  the  lad.  "I  remember  hearing  one  of 
the  men  who  helped  pole  a  boat  up  the  river  from 
Fort  de  Chartres  in  the  middle  of  the  winter,  tell 
how  thirty  of  them  landed  and  dragged  their  boat 
up  on  the  beach,  and  climbed  through  a  gully  up 
to  a  bluff  where  a  lad  of  thirteen  years  saw  some 
trees  which  had  been  marked  for  their  guidance, 
and  how  the  men  said  those  trees  were  probably 
the  ones  they  were  looking  for  and  that  here  they 
were  going  to  settle  and  build  a  town." 

"What  were  the  men  after  and  why  leave 
New  Orleans  and  all  the  towns  further  down  and 
come  way  up  here  to  live?"  asked  Tim. 

"Furs,  my  boy,  furs.  These  woods  are  full  of 
animals  that  have  on  their  bodies  skins  that  bring 
great  prices  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  St. 
Louis,  after  fourteen  years,  has  become  the  center 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  161 

of  the  fur  trade  of  all  this  section.  A  few  hun- 
dred of  us  live  there  but  we  trade  with  twenty- 
eight  nations  of  Indians  all  around  the  Great 
Lakes  and  far  into  the  West.  I  have  seen  a 
thousand  Indians  bringing  packs  into  St.  Louis." 

"What  people  live  in  St.  Louis?  It  is  a 
French  name,  but  you  said  something  about  a 
Spanish  Governor." 

"Oh,  yes,  we  were  at  first  a  French  town,  under 
the  Governor  of  New  Orleans,  when  France 
owned  all  the  territory  along  the  Mississippi,  but 
a  few  years  ago  France  gave  all  this  land  to  the 
King  of  Spain,  and  we  now  have  a  Spanish  Gov- 
ernor, though  most  of  the  people  living  there  are 
French." 

"Are  you  not  afraid  of  so  many  Indians 
coming  to  trade  with  you?" 

"Oh,  no.  The  Indians  who  come  to  trade  are 
hunters  and  trappers  and  not  warriors.  They 
range  all  over  the  forests  in  the  winter  when  the 
fur  is  the  finest  and  the  animals  most  readily  cap- 
tured. They  shoot  and  trap  bear,  deer,  lynx, 
fox,  beaver,  and  all  sorts  of  animals,  dry  the  skins 
and  bring  them  to  us  to  exchange  for  food  and 
clothing,  guns  and  ammunition,  jewelry,  blan- 
kets, and  all  kinds  of  things  that  savages  like. 
Besides  the  Indians  there  are  many  French  rang- 


162  The  Trail  Blazers 

ers  through  the  country,  bringing  in  fur  for  the 
trade." 

"Is  that  the  business  you  are  engaged  in?"  in- 
quired the  boy. 

"Yes,  I  have  a  partner  named  Gosti;  and  the 
Governor  at  St.  Louis,  whose  name  is  Leyba,  is 
in  business  with  us  also.  We  are  bankers  also. 
Once  a  year  we  have  a  large  fleet  of  flat  bottomed 
boats  that  go  down  the  river  carrying  all  the  skins 
we  have  bought.  These  we  sell  along  the  river 
and  as  far  down  as  New  Orleans.  Then  we  buy 
a  stock  of  goods  and  bring  it  overland  or  back  by 
boats  as  we  find  it  convenient." 

Thus  the  boy  and  the  merchant  talked,  the  boy 
telling  the  story  of  his  life  in  Kentucky,  of  his 
early  hardships,  of  the  Indians  who  came  in 
peace  and  those  who  came  in  war,  of  how  he  fol- 
lowed the  company  that  went  out  to  join  Colonel 
Clark  and  the  Virginians,  and  how  they  traversed 
the  wilderness  and  came  to  Kaskaskia. 

By  day  they  followed  the  trail,  well  known  and 
safe  along  the  river,  for  Vigo  and  his  friends  were 
well  known  to  all  the  tribes.  Occasionally  they 
passed  a  few  savages  on  horseback  riding  into 
some  village  of  the  French  for  supplies,  but  they 
were  peaceable  for  there  was  no  warfare  between 
the  Indians  and  the  French  or  Spaniards. 

By  night  the  party,  for  there  were  several 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  163 

others  along,  camped  under  the  trees  by  the  side 
of  a  spring,  tethering  their  horses  to  the  trees  and 
sleeping  under  the  open  sky.  It  was  a  rare  ex- 
perience for  the  boy  to  be  thrown  with  a  man  who 
could  tell  him  so  much  as  this  Spanish  merchant. 

On  the  third  day  they  came  to  the  landing 
across  from  the  village  and  were  ferried  over  by 
the  boatman  into  the  busy  little  fur-trading  town, 
which  already  had  its  streets  and  stores  and  ware- 
houses, a  church,  a  Governor's  house,  and  a  fort. 
As  Tim  walked  with  Vigo  along  the  main  street 
that  led  down  to  the  river  bluff  he  could  not  fore- 
see the  great  buildings,  enormous  stores,  and 
handsome  residences  that  one  day  would  make 
St.  Louis  one  of  the  great  cities  of  the  Middle 
West. 

Now  he  saw  only  wooden  houses  bordering  un- 
paved  streets  that  were  dusty  with  much  travel, 
an  occasional  warehouse  from  which  came  the 
stale  smell  of  the  skins  of  animals,  many  wagons 
coming  and  going  to  adjoining  farms  and  settle- 
ments, men  and  women  in  the  rough  clothes  of 
the  frontier  and  a  few  Indians  squatting  under 
a  tree  greedily  devouring  something  they  had 
gotten  from  a  store  in  exchange  for  an  otter 
skin.  The  boy  was  interested  but  not  impressed. 
It  was  all  too  much  like  what  he  had  seen  else- 
where.    He  had  never  been  beyond  Kentucky 


164  The  Trail  Blazers 

before,  nor  seen  any  place  that  had  a  thousand 
people  in  it. 

Vigo  took  the  boy  home  with  him  and  kept  him 
overnight.  The  merchant  lived  in  one  of  the  best 
houses  in  the  village  and  was  much  respected  by 
the  people.  The  next  day  he  and  Tim  went 
together  to  his  place  of  business  where  the  boy 
had  a  chance  to  see  the  partner  of  his  friend,  and 
also  the  big  warehouse  where  the  stores  were  kept 
for  sale,  and  the  skins  were  packed  for  carrying 
down  the  river,  or  by  trail  to  the  settlements  east. 

In  a  little  office  to  one  side  Vigo  and  his  part- 
ner Gosti  sat  in  conversation.  Tim  was  just 
outside  watching  some  trading  going  on  with  a 
Frenchman  from  the  interior  who  wanted  ammu- 
nition and  supplies  for  his  winter  expedition.  His 
ear  caught  the  words,  "and  you  promised  all  that 
money  to  Colonel  Clark?  Why,  Vigo,  you  will 
never  get  it  back.  It  was  a  foolish  thing  to  do, 
I  say.     You  have  only  that  much  money  here." 

"Yes,  I  have  more  than  that  in  gold,  stored 
here  in  our  bank,  which  I  have  kept  from  time 
to  time  in  case  we  needed  it.  I  can  do  what  I 
will  with  my  own,  can  I  not?" 

"But  it  is  an  agreement  that  we  both  should 
keep  that  much  money.  I  have  that  much,  too, 
and  so  has  Leyba.  If  you  give  yours  away,  and 
anything  happens  to  the  business  you  will  not  be 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  165 

able  to  help.  You  break  your  agreement  with 
us." 

At  that  moment  another  man  came  in  the  big 
store,  looked  around  for  a  moment  and  spoke 
cordially  to  several  persons  who  had  entered. 
They  showed  him  great  respect,  holding  their 
hats  or  caps  in  their  hands  and  replying  deferen- 
tially to  all  his  enquiries.  The  man  was  Don 
Leyba,  the  Spanish  Lieutenant-Governor  of  St. 
Louis.  He  was  small  in  size,  with  dark  hair  and 
eyes  and  of  a  very  excitable  disposition. 

Don  Leyba  entered  the  office  and  began  to 
speak  in  Spanish  to  his  partners  in  business. 
Tim  could  not  understand  a  word  they  said  but 
judged  by  their  manner  that  Clark  and  the  money 
was  the  subject  under  discussion.  Looking  in 
the  door  he  saw  Gosti  and  Don  Leyba  gesticulat- 
ing wildly  and  Vigo  protesting  as  vigorously.  It 
was  the  way  of  Spaniards  to  be  vehement. 

Tim  boldly  entered  the  room  without  being 
invited.  Then  in  a  clear  voice,  which  trembled 
slightly  from  embarrassment  and  some  fear,  he 
spoke  out:  "Sirs,  I  do  not  know  what  you  are 
discussing,  but  if  it  is  about  Colonel  Clark  you 
are  talking,  I  want  to  say  that  he  is  as  brave  and 
honest  a  man  as  there  is  in  the  world,  and  I  know 
a  whole  lot  more  about  him  than  vou  do,  for  I 


166  The  Trail  Blazers 

have  been  with  him  all  the  way  from  Kentucky 
to  Kaskaskia." 

Don  Leyba  looked  at  the  lad,  whose  face  was 
now  flushed  with  excitement,  and  enquired  in 
English,  "Who  is  this  boy?" 

Vigo  told  him  of  Clark's  request  and  of  how 
the  boy  had  come  with  him  from  Kaskaskia,  and 
that  his  name  was  Tim,  or  at  least  that  was  what 
Clark  called  him.  Don  Leyba  turned  to  the  lad 
and  spoke  in  his  excitable  way: 

"I  know  your  Colonel  Clark  very  well.  I  have 
been  to  Kaskaskia  and  spent  several  evenings 
with  him.  He  is  a  fine  soldier  and  has  done  a 
great  thing  in  capturing  those  French  towns  from 
the  English.  I  hope  he  will  hold  them  against 
that  miserable  fellow  Hamilton." 

"Then  why  not  lend  him  the  money  to  pay  his 
soldiers,  and  let  them  pay  their  debts,  so  that 
the  storekeepers  will  be  satisfied?  We  cannot 
live  off  the  people.  I  owe  some  money  myself 
and  I  need  some  things  I  now  have  no  money  to 
buy.  Some  of  the  men  are  threatening  to  go 
home  unless  they  get  their  pay,  and  then  Clark 
will  not  have  enough  left  to  march  against  Vin- 
cennes,  and  Hamilton  will  keep  all  this  country 
for  the  British,  which  we  hope  to  add  to  our 
country  when  peace  is  made." 

The  boy  spoke  breathlessly  and  in  deep  earn- 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  167 

est.  Don  Leyba  and  his  companions  remem- 
bered the  long  grievance  that  Spain  had  against 
England,  from  the  days  of  the  Armada  down 
to  recent  days  in  America. 

"Twelve  thousand  dollars  is  a  lot  of  money, 
Vigo,  for  you  to  lend,  and  I  doubt  if  you  will  ever 
get  it  back,"  said  Don  Leyba.  "I  admire  Clark 
and  his  courage  but  business  is  business  and  my 
advice  is  against  it,  but  you  can  do  what  you  will 
with  your  own  money  so  far  as  I  am  concerned. 
Lend  it  to  Clark,  for  the  cause  is  a  good  one,  but 
I  think  you  are  giving  it  to  him." 

Vigo's  enthusiasm  had  considerably  abated  by 
this  time,  and  he  was  on  the  point  of  writing  to 
Clark  that  his  promise  must  be  withdrawn,  and 
letting  the  boy  go  back  with  a  note  of  apology 
instead  of  a  package  of  gold  coin.  The  boy  saw 
his  irresolution  on  his  face,  and  there  came  to 
him  the  resolve  to  help  his  Colonel  if  he  could. 
Turning  to  Vigo,  he  said  with  great  earnestness : 

"Mr.  Vigo,  Colonel  Clark  has  come  from  a 
land  where  Indians  have  been  sent  to  murder 
men,  women  and  children,  and  take  their  scalps 
to  Detroit.  I  know  this  is  true  for  my  own  father 
was  murdered  in  his  field  and  his  body  thrown 
into  the  burning  cabin  from  which  my  mother 
and  I  fled.  I  was  not  the  only  child  for  there 
was  a  baby  sister.     We  escaped  into  the  woods 


168  The  Trail  Blazers 

in  the  dead  of  winter,  my  mother  carrying  the 
baby  in  her  arms,  and  hid  for  one  long  day  and 
one  long  night,  without  food  and  with  little  cloth- 
ing. What  we  had  on  we  used  to  wrap  up  the 
baby.  When  we  reached  the  little  fort  where 
a  few  soldiers  kept  guard  over  our  frightened 
neighbors,  my  mother  was  too  weak  to  even  enter 
the  door.  She  died  that  night,  and  a  neighbor 
now  has  the  baby  to  keep  for  me  until  I  get  back. 
That  was  two  years  ago.  I  made  up  my  mind 
to  become  a  soldier  and  do  my  part  to  put  an  end 
to  this  war.  I  slipped  away  from  the  fort  one 
day  and  joined  some  soldiers  who  were  going 
somewhere,  I  did  not  care.  We  joined  Colonel 
Clark  and  his  Virginians  and  you  know  the  rest. 
I  should  be  sorry  for  him  to  go  back  without 
doing  what  he  came  for." 

There  was  silence  in  the  office  for  awhile.  Don 
Leyba  again  spoke  up:  "This  war  is  an  awful 
affair,  especially  where  Indians  are  concerned. 
Hamilton  may  not  be  as  guilty  as  he  is  reported, 
but  when  he  puts  Indians  on  the  warpath  he 
ought  to  know  what  to  expect." 

"What  kind  of  man  is  your  Colonel?"  asked 
Vigo. 

"As  gentle  and  kindhearted  as  he  is  brave,  sir," 
replied  the  boy,  "I  saw  him  cry  when  an  old 
priest  was  begging  him  not  to  let  his  men  butcher 


Affairs  at  Vincennes  169 

the  people  of  Kaskaskia,  or  turn  them  in  the  wil- 
derness. I  saw  him  carry  a  sick  Indian  child  in 
his  arms  to  his  own  house  and  keep  him  there  for 
days  until  he  was  well.  I  saw  him  stop  an  In- 
dian chief  who  was  about  to  dash  out  the  brains 
of  two  of  his  braves.  I  have  seen  him  look  like 
he  was  angry  but  it  was  all  for  effect.  He  is  like 
those  knights  my  mother  read  me  about  back  in 
Kentucky." 

Tim  stopped  for  there  were  tears  in  his  eyes, 
and  a  tremble  in  his  voice.  Gosti  arose  and  put 
his  hand  on  the  boy's  shoulder,  while  Don  Leyba 
looked  out  of  the  door  and  said  nothing. 

Vigo's  face  showed  once  more  his  firmness  to 
stand  by  his  promise.  "Boy,  you  are  a  good 
soldier,  and  if  all  the  Long  Knives  are  like  you, 
Clark  could  conquer  the  whole  of  Canada.  You 
shall  carry  the  money  back  with  you  as  I  said 
you  should." 

The  next  day  a  boat  was  loaded  with  provi- 
sions and  arms  and  manned  by  lusty  oarsmen, 
who  directed  its  course  down  the  river.  There 
was  a  trusty  messenger  who  sat  close  by  a  heavy 
box  of  whose  contents  no  one  of  those  on  the  boat 
knew  anything  except  the  messenger  himself  and 
the  Irish  lad  who  had  unburdened  his  heart  to 
a  stranger. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  HAIR  BUYER  AT  DETROIT 

IT  is  quite  time  we  turn  our  attention  to  Henry 
Hamilton,  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  De- 
troit, who  was  the  British  Commander  of  all  the 
territory  that  Clark  was  trying  to  conquer  and 
hold  for  America  against  the  time  when  peace 
should  be  declared. 

At  this  time,  Detroit  was  a  village  of  three 
hundred  inhabitants  living  in  ordinary  wooden 
houses,  much  like  all  the  frontier  towns  of  that 
period.  There  was  a  Catholic  church,  but  no 
other  public  building.  The  entire  town  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  palisade  for  protection  against  the 
Indians,  but  since  all  the  tribes  in  the  neighbor- 
hood had  been  brought  over  to  the  English,  the 
palisade  was  much  neglected. 

Here  was  stationed  Henry  Hamilton,  whom 
history  has  given  a  bad  name.  It  was  believed 
that  he  allowed  his  Indian  allies  to  make  forays 
into  white  settlements  along  the  Ohio  and  across 
the  border  for  the  purpose  of  murder,  and  that 
he  paid  for  scalps  regardless  of  whether  they  were 

170 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  171 

torn  from  the  heads  of  men,  women,  or  children, 
young  or  old.  It  is  a  fact  that  he  wrote  many 
reports  to  his  superior  officer,  the  Governor  of 
Canada,  in  which  he  speaks  of  the  Indians  bring- 
ing in  scalps,  though  he  never  speaks  of  paying 
for  them.  It  was  currently  believed  at  the  time 
that  some  bounty  or  gratuity  was  given  to  each 
bearer" of  the  bloody  trophies. 

History  is  frank  to  admit  that  if  Hamilton 
deserved  the  name  of  the  "Hair  Buyer,"  it  was 
won  without  any  direction  or  sanction  of  the 
mother  country.  In  all  wars  there  are  to  be 
found  men  who  are  inhuman  and  cruel,  and  who 
do  many  things  under  the  pretence  of  war  that 
are  revolting  to  the  better  feelings  of  the  world. 
Let  us  remember  that  after  all  it  was  not  the  Brit- 
ish soldier,  nor  the  British  people,  who  wanted  the 
War  of  the  Revolution,  but  rather  the  British 
king,  George  III,  whose  obstinacy  and  oppres- 
sive laws  drove  the  colonists  into  rebellion.  The 
British  people  at  large  sympathized  with  the  colo- 
nists, and  many  British  statesmen  thought  they 
were  right  in  their  demands.  Therefore,  let  us 
not  lay  the  cruelties  of  Hamilton  at  any  door  but 
his  own,  nor  accuse  any  one  of  barbarity  except 
himself,  even  if  he  deserved  it. 

Hamilton  had  very  few  soldiers  at  Detroit. 
He  depended  largely  on  his  Indian  allies  and  was 


172  The  Trail  Blazers 

always  having  councils  with  them,  distributing 
presents  and  making  speeches  to  win  over  their 
friendship.  Three  months  before  Clark  had  set 
out  on  his  journey  down  the  Ohio,  Hamilton  held 
a  great  council  of  the  Indians  around  the  Great 
Lakes.  There  were  over  sixteen  hundred  sav- 
ages present,  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  Wyandots, 
Delawares,  Shawanese,  Miamis,  Mohawks,  and 
Senecas. 

The  council  lasted  several  days.  There  was  a 
great  deal  of  speech-making,  much  eating  and 
drinking  and  dancing.  Many  presents  were  dis- 
tributed among  the  Indians  such  as  guns,  knives, 
axes,  hatchets,  colored  cloth,  medals,  bits  of 
jewelry,  and  clothes.  Hamilton,  dressed  in  the 
costume  of  an  Indian,  bedecked  with  paint  and 
feathers,  chanting  the  savage  songs  of  the  forest 
and  dancing  around  the  council  fires,  assumed  the 
manners  and  acted  the  part  of  the  red  men  he 
was  trying  to  conciliate. 

All  day  long  and  far  into  the  night  the  fires 
burned,  the  rude  drums  and  the  weird  songs  gave 
out  their  monotonous  sounds,  the  swaying  bodies 
moved  back  and  forth,  while  the  savages  pre- 
pared for  the  council  which  was  to  follow. 

The  General  made  talks  to  his  Indian  allies  in 
which  he  urged  them  to  remain  firm  in  their 
friendship  with  the  British  and  to  make  warfare 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  173 

upon  their  enemies.  This  suited  the  Indians  ex- 
actly. Nothing  pleased  them  more  than  to  get 
presents  and  go  on  the  warpath,  but  their  friend- 
ship was  as  changeable  as  the  wind,  and  no  one 
knew  it  better  than  the  Lieutenant-Governor 
himself. 

The  winter  passed  and  spring  came,  and  then 
the  summer.  In  the  meantime,  in  July,  Clark 
had  taken  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  but  they  were 
six  hundred  miles  or  more  away  from  Detroit 
and  news  traveled  slowly.  In  August,  a  mes- 
senger rode  into  Detroit  and  asked  to  see  the 
Commander.  The  man  was  from  far  down  the 
country  and  was  bearing  news  he  had  gotten 
from  others  still  farther  down.  The  Governor 
received  him  in  his  house. 

"I  bring  you  word  that  a  band  of  rebels  from 
Virginia  have  come  overland  this  spring,  about 
three  hundred  in  number  I  hear,  and  in  July 
captured  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia,  and  all  the 
people  there  have  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  American  flag." 

"What?"  cried  the  Commander.  "Rebels  in 
this  territory?  They  must  be  mad  to  trust  them- 
selves among  my  Indian  allies.  We  shall  have 
them  captured  at  once.  There  will  be  more  scalps 
on  the  palisades,  and  not  so  far  to  go  after  them." 

"Not  so  fast,  sir,"  replied  the  man.     "I  hear 


174  The  Trail  Blazers 

that  at  Cahokia  their  colonel,  a  man  named  Clark, 
had  a  great  council  and  made  a  treaty  with  all 
the  Indians  along  the  Mississippi.  They  say  he 
is  a  young,  but  a  very  able  leader.  Also  the 
French  have  turned  against  the  English  since 
France  has  declared  for  the  colonies." 

Hamilton  was  perplexed  at  this  turn  of  affairs. 
It  was  more  serious  than  he  had  thought.  "I 
must  send  someone  to  see  the  Wabash  Indians, 
and  the  Miamis  to  keep  them  in  line,  and  inform 
the  Governor  at  Canada  about  all  this." 

"That  is  not  all,  sir,"  said  the  messenger.  "I 
was  also  informed  that  a  priest  named  Gibault, 
was  about  to  set  out  for  Vincennes,  to  see  the 
people  there  and  persuade  them  to  join  the  Amer- 
icans, which  will  be  easy  to  do,  since  the  British 
post  has  been  removed  from  that  place  and  Gi- 
bault has  much  influence  over  the  people." 

"Vincennes  too?"  exclaimed  Hamilton.  "That 
means  all  this  territory  to  the  south  to  those 
rascally  rebels.  Well,  we  have  over  a  thousand 
Indian  allies  and  if  we  can  keep  them  true  to 
their  promise  it  will  be  a  lively  war." 

Hamilton  dismissed  the  messenger  and  then 
wrote  the  full  particulars  to  Governor  Haldi- 
mand,  in  command  at  Quebec.  In  this  letter  he 
told  Haldimand  that  it  was  his  opinion  that  the 
rebels  were  few  in  number  and  that  their  con- 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  175 

quests  had  been  greatly  exaggerated,  but  that  it 
would  be  well  for  him  and  his  Indians  to  go  at 
once  to  Vincennes  and  dislodge  the  intruders  so 
as  to  prevent  others  coming  on  and  making  mat- 
ters worse.  Little  did  the  General  know  what 
kind  of  men  he  was  opposing  in  his  expedition 
down  the  Wabash. 

The  General  did  not  hesitate  to  spread  the 
news  of  his  intention  to  move  against  Vincennes. 
To  all  the  chiefs  who  came  into  the  village  he 
was  cordial  and  friendly,  and  sent  them  away 
with  presents. 

A  body  of  Shawanese  came  trooping  in  one 
day,  still  painted  as  from  the  warpath.  The 
chief  came  into  the  room  where  Hamilton 
had  his  office.  The  savage  had  his  war  belt  in 
his  hand,  to  which  was  dangling  a  dozen  dried 
scalps  to  which  the  clotted  blood  was  still  adher- 
ing. 

"White  men,  scalps,"  said  the  chief,  proudly. 
"Over  across  the  big  river.  My  braves  burnt 
houses  and  killed  men.  You  give  us  presents 
and  we  bring  you  scalps." 

Hamilton  looked  with  disgust  at  the  awful 
sight  and  his  better  nature  rose  against  the  butch- 
ery. What  helpless  people  were  surprised  in 
the  night  and  their  cabins  burned,  what  tortures 
endured,  what  murders  committed,  and  for  what 


176  The  Trail  Blazers 

reason?  It  was  in  his  mind  then  and  there  to  put 
this  gloating  savage  in  irons  and  give  no  more 
presents  if  that  was  what  they  thought  his  gifts 
were  for.  He  knit  his  brow  and  turned  to  his 
officers  sitting  with  him  to  conceal  the  loathing 
he  felt  for  what  he  saw  of  the  savage  nature. 

"Take  the  things  outside.  I  shall  send  you  word 
what  to  do  with  them,"  and  he  ordered  the  chief 
from  the  room,  an  order  the  savage  obeyed  with 
some  reluctance, 

"This  is  horrible,  horrible,"  said  he. 

"Yes,  but  it  is  war,  and  an  Indian  knows  no 
other  kind  of  war.  It  is  all  one  with  him  whether 
he  murders  men,  or  women,  or  children.  Last 
spring  I  saw  a  Miami  warrior  in  a  fit  of  passion 
against  a  Mohawk  woman,  dash  her  brains  out 
with  his  tomahawk  and  then  swing  her  child  over 
his  shoulder  and  crush  its  body  on  a  rock,"  was 
the  reply  of  one  of  his  officers. 

"What  happened  to  him?"  was  asked  by  an- 
other. 

"The  Mohawks  rose  in  wrath,  demanded  the 
warrior  of  the  Miamis  and  then  slowly  roasted 
him  alive.  At  least,  that  is  what  I  heard  after- 
wards." 

"How  many  scalps  did  that  Indian  have?" 
asked  the  General. 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  177 

"Probably  twelve  or  more,  and  some  of  them 
looked  like  the  hair  of  women." 

"That  makes  more  than  a  hundred  that  I  have 
had  to  see  in  the  past  six  months.  I  wish  to 
heaven  I  had  seen  the  last  of  them,"  and  the 
General  turned  to  other  matters. 

But  the  officers  knew  too  well  the  necessity  of 
keeping  the  Indians  in  good  humor.  One  of  them 
left  the  room  and  went  with  the  savage  to  the 
storehouse  where  more  "presents"  were  given 
him  to  distribute  to  the  braves  who  were  carrying 
on  the  war  in  the  way  they  thought  would  please 
the  man  who  had  danced  with  them  around  their 
council  fires  and  told  them  to  go  on  the  warpath 
for  their  English  father  who  lived  beyond  the 
great  water. 

A  week  later,  Hamilton  sat  in  conference  with 
his  officers.  There  were  Captain  Lernoult  and 
Lieutenant  Shourd  and  others.  The  talk  was 
about  the  disquieting  rumors  of  the  rebels  who, 
it  was  reported  by  other  messengers,  had  already 
taken  Vincennes. 

"In  fact,"  said  Hamilton,  "I  have  been  in- 
formed by  Beaubien,  who  has  arrived  from  the 
agency  at  the  head  of  the  Maumee  River,  that  a 
fellow,  named  Clark,  was  at  Vincennes  with 
eighty  men  and  that  the  French  received  him 
well." 


178  The  Trail  Blazers 

"A  Huron,  from  Sandusky,  is  reported  to  have 
said  that  he  heard  the  rebels  were  headed  for  De- 
troit itself,  and  that  they  were  eight  hundred 
strong,  counting  their  Indian  allies,' '  said  Ler- 
noult. 

To  all  this  Shourd  added  the  information  that 
he  had  received  a  letter  from  an  agent  among 
the  Wabash  Indians  that  the  rebels  were  called 
Long  Knives  by  the  savages,  because  they  could 
shoot  with  unerring  accuracy,  and  were  as  bloody 
in  murder  as  any  tribe  of  Indians. 

"Heaven  help  us,  if  such  be  true,"  said  Hamil- 
ton, uneasily.  "If  these  be  men  from  Virginia 
and  Kentucky,  where  the  savage  devils  have 
wrought  such  havoc  on  the  border  villages,  they 
will  make  short  work  of  the  three  hundred  peo- 
ple in  this  defenceless  town.  But  I  think  these 
are  mere  rumors  after  all." 

"I  am  tired  of  this  wilderness,  and  its  eternal 
perils,"  remarked  another  officer.  "Here  we  have 
a  handful  of  soldiers,  hardly  a  hundred,  and  out 
yonder  in  the  woods  are  thousands  of  bloody 
savages  that  we  hold  as  allies  by  the  meanest  sort 
of  trickery.  We  give  them  guns  and  powder, 
and  let  them  get  whiskey,  and  buy  them  with 
cheap  jewelry,  and  turn  them  loose  upon  white 
men  with  as  good  English  blood  as  ours,  all  on 
account  of  a  war  that  I  don't  believe  in.    As  for 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  179 

me,  I  live  in  daily  terror  of  hearing  a  war  whoop 
directed  against  us,  and  of  seeing  a  scalping 
knife  over  my  own  head." 

"Yes,  indeed!"  added  Shourd.  "And  as  for 
comforts,  we  freeze  here  all  winter,  with  the  snow 
banked  around  the  huts  so  that  we  can  hardly 
get  out,  and  in  the  summer  are  eaten  alive  by 
mosquitoes.  I  should  like  to  see  some  service 
where  men  fight  men,  and  not  where  Indians  lie 
in  ambush  or  sneak  up  on  you  by  night." 

"The  war  will  soon  be  over,  I  think,"  said 
Hamilton,  quietly,  "and  if  I  am  any  prophet 
these  Americans  will  get  what  they  are  fighting 
for.  My  hope  is  that  England  can  keep 
Canada  and  all  this  territory  down  to  the  Ohio 
River  when  it  comes  to  making  some  treaty  of 
peace." 

"Not  if  Clark  and  those  rebels,  as  you  call 
them,  have  their  way.  We  may  all  be  prisoners 
of  war  and  Detroit  may  be  in  their  hands  before 
any  treaty  of  peace  is  signed,"  replied  Shourd. 

"Well,  it  may  be  that  if  Clark  and  his  Long 
Knives  do  what  you  say  they  are  accused  of,  all 
our  scalps  may  be  hanging  to  their  belts  before 
long.  Sometimes  I  think  that  living  in  contact 
with  savages  makes  one  about  as  bloodthirsty  as 
they  are.    At  all  events  we  must  do  what  we  are 


180  The  Trail  Blazers 

expected  to  do  to  meet  these  marauders  and  save 
Vincennes  if  we  can,"  said  Hamilton,  finally. 

Then  they  began  to  discuss  the  necessary 
preparations  for  an  expedition  against  Clark  who 
they  supposed  was  at  Vincennes. 

"It  is  six  hundred  miles  from  here,"  said  one 
of  the  officers,  "and  not  easy  going  by  any  means. 
Fortunately  all  the  tribes  along  the  route  are  in 
our  pay,  or  were  the  last  time  I  heard  from 
them." 

Hamilton  then  unfolded  his  plan.  "We  will 
need  to  build  boats  to  carry  the  men  and  pro- 
visions down  the  Detroit  River  and  up  the  Mau- 
mee  River  to  its  headwaters,  then  a  portage 
across  the  country  and  down  the  Wabash  River. 
It  will  be  water  travel  most  of  the  way,  and  we 
should  arrive  before  the  worst  of  the  winter  sets 
in." 

"When  should  we  be  ready  to  start?" 

"If  we  can  get  our  boats  made  and  stores 
packed  we  should  set  out  about  the  first  of 
October." 

The  conference  broke  up  and  each  man  set 
about  his  task  of  getting  ready  for  the  voyage 
and  the  march.  The  General  found  fifteen  fair- 
sized  boats  available  for  carrying  provisions. 
These  he  ordered  made  ready  for  his  undertak- 
ing.   For  many  days  there  was  baking  of  biscuit, 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  181 

drying  of  meat,  collecting  of  guns  and  ammuni- 
tion, all  of  which  were  stored  in  bags  or  barrels 
and  placed  on  board  the  vessels.  At  the  same 
time  the  militia  companies  were  drafted  and  the 
soldiers  enrolled  for  service.  There  was  much 
activity  among  the  people  of  the  village  and  no 
little  excitement  at  the  adventure  that  was  before 
them. 

The  Indians  looked  on  in  concern  for  they 
wished  to  join  the  expedition.  Delegations  from 
the  Ottawas,  the  Chippewas,  and  the  Pottawatta- 
mies  came  to  Hamilton,  and  said:  "Hold  a  war 
council  and  a  war  dance,  and  we  will  whet  our 
scalping  knives  for  you  against  the  Long  Knives 
as  you  call  them." 

Hamilton  could  do  little  else  than  as  his  savage 
allies  requested.  The  council  was  held  in  the 
open  square  of  Detroit,  around  a  big  fire.  All 
the  chiefs  and  braves  came  in  paint  and  feathers, 
with  tomahawks  in  their  belts.  Hamilton,  and 
Lernoult,  and  several  officers  were  there  and 
sang  the  war  songs  and  danced  the  war  dance 
in  true  Indian  fashion.  Whole  oxen  were  roasted 
on  the  coals,  bread  was  cooked,  and  the  savages 
feasted  and  drank  and  boasted  of  what  they 
would  do  to  their  enemies  once  they  found  them 
in  reach. 

A   big   Ottawa   chief   swung  his   tomahawk 


182  The  Trail  Blazers 

around  his  head,  danced  the  rude  steps  of  the 
savage  war  dance,  and  chanted  the  death  song 
of  his  tribe.  "The  sun  sets  in  blood  this  night, 
but  where  my  tomahawk  falls  the  ground  shall  be 
redder  than  the  sunset.  The  wolf  howls  in  the 
forest  but  where  my  footsteps  go  the  cries  of 
those  I  strike  shall  drown  the  howl  of  the  wolf 
and  the  bear  and  the  roar  of  the  mountain  lion. 
The  birds  will  not  sing,  nor  the  corn  grow,  nor 
the  waters  run  sweet  after  me.  I  shall  drink  the 
blood  and  eat  the  flesh  of  those  I  hate,"  and  while 
the  drums  beat  and  the  braves  chanted  in  unison 
the  weird  and  cruel  songs  of  the  forest,  the  big 
chief  leaped  and  danced  until  he  fell  exhausted 
on  the  ground. 

Hamilton  turned  away,  weary  of  this  boasting 
and  savagery.  "I  place  little  faith  in  all  this 
pretence  of  bravery.  It  may  be  our  own  scalps 
they  will  take  if  once  they  turn  against  us.  But 
we  will  take  them  along,  for  Clark  probably  has 
as  wild  a  set  on  his  side  as  we  have  on  ours." 

"They  are  peaceable  enough  so  long  as  they 
are  our  friends.  I  have  been  alone  in  their  vil- 
lages for  days  and  nights  at  a  time  and  slept 
securely,"  said  Lernoult.  "I  would  rather  have 
them  for  us  than  against  us." 

"I  shall  leave  you  in  charge  of  Detroit,"  said 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  183 

the  General.  "I  have  told  the  Indians  you  are 
to  be  their  father  while  I  am  away." 

"And  what  if  they  are  unruly  children?"  in- 
quired Lernoult,  with  a  smile. 

"Then  I  may  find  your  scalp  hanging  on  the 
palisade  when  I  return,"  replied  Hamilton, 
grimly. 

Early  in  October  the  boats  were  ready  and 
loaded.  Less  than  two  hundred  British  and 
French  soldiers,  and  about  seventy  well  chosen 
Indians  constituted  the  party  that  were  prepared 
to  accompany  the  flotilla. 

On  the  day  of  departure,  a  Jesuit  missionary, 
named  Pierre  Potier,  called  all  the  French  sol- 
diers and  the  Indians  together  on  Detroit  com- 
mon and  gave  them  the  blessings  of  the  Catholic 
church.  He  reminded  them  of  their  oath  of  al- 
legiance to  the  British  flag,  and  admonished  them 
to  be  brave  soldiers.  To  the  Indians  he  gave  a 
priestly  warning  to  be  merciful  to  all  prisoners 
and  to  shed  no  blood  where  it  was  not  necessary, 
and  above  all  things  to  spare  women,  children, 
and  old  men  from  the  tomahawk  and  the  scalp- 
ing knife.  The  French  soldiers  crossed  them- 
selves and  the  Indians  grunted,  according  to 
their  fashion. 

While  all  this  was  going  on,  Captain  Helm 
was    peacefully,    but    anxiously,    holding    Vin- 


184  The  Trail  Blazers 

cennes.  He  knew  that  he  could  not  hold  it  long 
if  any  considerable  force  should  move  against 
him.  He  advised  Clark,  by  a  messenger,  to  send 
a  body  of  troops  against  the  British  agent  at  a 
town  called  Wea,  up  the  Wabash  River. 

The  agent's  name  was  DeCeleron.  He  was  a 
Frenchman,  but  very  much  under  the  influence 
of  Hamilton.  He  it  was  whose  councils  were 
keeping  the  Wabash  Indians  from  joining  the 
Americans  as  other  tribes  along  the  Ohio  and  the 
lower  Wabash  had  been  doing. 

When  Clark  received  the  message  of  Captain 
Helm,  he  resolved  to  capture  DeCeleron.  He 
wished  to  surprise  him  at  the  Wea  village,  and 
take  him  and  all  the  stores,  for  he  supposed  that 
by  this  time  Hamilton  knew  of  the  presence  of 
the  Americans  in  the  territory. 

About  the  time  that  the  officers  at  Detroit  were 
first  informed  of  the  occupation  of  Kaskaskia, 
and  the  coming  of  "the  rebels"  across  the  Ohio, 
Clark  sent  eighty  men  over  to  Vincennes  to  add 
to  about  twenty  from  that  place,  with  orders  to 
Helm  to  "go  after  the  agent  at  Wea  and  get 
him  and  take  him  off." 

Helm  set  out  with  alacrity  and  delight.  He 
took  his  men  by  water  up  the  Wabash  River 
sending  some  Indian  scouts  on  ahead. 

"If  the  Hair  Buyer  comes  our  way  he  may 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  185 

have  a  fight  on  his  hands  before  he  gets  to  Vin- 
cennes,"  remarked  he  to  Lieutenant  Bayley,  one 
of  the  officers. 

"He  is  probably  coming,  and  may  be  on  the 
way  now.  I  would  be  glad  to  meet  him,  so  long 
as  these  one  hundred  men  are  with  us,"  replied 
Bayley. 

The  flotilla  went  up  the  Wabash  slowly,  day 
after  day,  and  no  sign  of  Hamilton  or  the  Brit- 
ish. He  was  conferring  with  his  officers  and 
making  treaties  with  the  Indians.  Occasionally 
a  canoe  passed  going  down  the  river,  but  it  was 
filled  with  friendly  Indians,  or  at  least  with  those 
who  regarded  the  Americans  with  indifference. 
One  day,  however,  at  a  bend  of  the  river,  Helm 
saw  a  party  of  Indians  on  the  banks.  "Wabash !" 
grunted  one  of  the  Piankeshaws.  "Know  him 
by  paint.    Live  up  river." 

Hardly  had  the  party  been  sighted  before  the 
savages  disappeared  in  the  woods.  "I  think  they 
are  war  scouts  of  the  Wabash  and  Miamis.  They 
will  take  word  of  our  coming  to  DeCeleron.  I 
hope  they  say  we  are  few  in  number  so  that  he 
will  show  some  fight,"  said  Bayley. 

It  was  as  Bayley  thought.  The  Indians 
mounted  their  ponies,  rode  furiously  up  the  trail 
to  the  village  of  the  Wabash  where  DeCeleron 
had  his  headquarters.    They  told  him  that  many 


186  The  Trail  Blazers 

boatloads  of  Americans,  probably  the  Long 
Knives  themselves,  were  on  their  way  to  Detroit 
and  would  soon  be  at  the  Wea  village.  It  was 
this  news  that  had  been  sent  to  Detroit  and  which 
had  disturbed  Hamilton  at  his  conference  with 
his  officers. 

DeCeleron  at  first  resolved  to  show  fight,  but 
after  thinking  it  over  and  considering  what  he  had 
heard  of  the  Long  Knives  he  resolved  to  show 
his  heels,  so  he  mounted  his  horse  and  hastily 
left  the  village  and  the  friendly  Indians  to  their 
fate. 

The  fort  at  Wea  was  a  miserable  stockade  sur- 
rounded by  a  dozen  wretched  cabins,  in  which 
lived  a  few  French  families.  It  was  located  on 
the  north  side  of  the  Wabash  River,  just  below 
the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Lafayette,  Indiana. 
The  Indians  surrounding  the  village  were  the 
Upper  Wabash  tribe  and  were  numerous,  prob- 
ably five  hundred  in  all.  They  cared  little  for 
any  flag  or  for  any  alliance.  When  DeCeleron 
abruptly  left,  they  called  a  council  to  decide  what 
to  do.  In  their  haste  they  left  the  gate  of  the 
fort  open,  and  neglected  to  post  any  sentinels, 
not  thinking  of  any  immediate  danger. 

While  they  sat  around  the  council,  the  yells  of 
a  hundred  men  were  heard,  and  Helm  rushed  in, 
followed  by  his  soldiers  with  their  guns  in  their 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  187 

hands.  The  savages  were  terrified  and  held  up 
their  hands  in  token  of  surrender,  offering  no 
resistance. 

Helm  hardly  knew  what  to  do  with  the  village, 
now  that  he  had  captured  it.  He  took  down  the 
British  flag  and  put  up  the  American  flag  in  its 
place.  The  French  were  easily  won  over  to  their 
new  allegiance,  but  the  Indians  had  to  be  treated 
with  less  persuasion  and  more  defiance. 

Calling  the  savages  together,  he  addressed 
them  in  words  they  could  understand:  "You 
Indians  living  on  the  Wabash  River,  you  have 
heard  of  the  Long  Knives,  and  how  far  their 
tomahawks  can  reach.  We  are  the  Long  Knives 
and  there  are  many  thousands  more  behind  us. 
We  desire  to  pass  through  your  country  to  De- 
troit to  drive  out  your  father  who  is  there,  for 
your  other  father,  the  king  of  France  has  come 
to  life  and  will  drive  the  British  from  his  hunting 
grounds.  Here  are  two  belts  for  you  to  see  and 
choose,  a  green  belt  for  peace  with  us,  a  red  belt 
for  war  against  us.  Take  which  you  like.  If 
you  take  the  green  belt  for  peace,  we  will  want 
a  wide  path  to  walk  in  for  we  are  many  in  num- 
ber, and  we  love  room  to  march  in,  for  in  swing- 
ing our  arms,  our  swords  may  hurt  some  of  your 
people." 

The  Indians  eagerly  grasped  the  green  belt, 


188  The  Trail  Blazers 

and  swore  peace.  This  kept  them  in  order  for  a 
few  weeks  anyhow.  Shortly  afterwards,  Helm 
returned  to  Vincennes  leaving  a  small  garrison 
to  show  that  Wea  was  now  an  American  and  not 
a  British  possession.  The  force  that  Clark  had 
sent  him  returned  to  Kaskaskia,  but  the  words 
that  Helm  had  spoken  to  the  Wea  savages  went 
on  to  Detroit  to  the  increasing  dismay  of  the 
Lieutenant-Governor. 

Let  us  now  return  to  Hamilton,  whom  we  left 
ready  to  dispatch  his  boats  down  the  Detroit 
River,  and  whose  troops  were  ready  to  go  aboard. 
It  did  not  take  long  to  complete  the  loading  of 
the  fifteen  vessels  with  their  supplies  and  am- 
munition and  men  and  to  start  them  down  the 
river.  At  night  he  made  his  first  camp  and  the 
General  observed  all  the  rules  of  military  order 
though  his  enemy  was  six  hundred  miles  away. 
He  set  guards,  and  pickets,  and  advanced  sen- 
tries, and  sent  out  scouts,  and  watched  the  boats 
as  though  he  expected  an  attack  every  minute. 

The  next  morning  the  camp  awoke  in  a  blind- 
ing snow-storm  but  the  vessels  continued  on  their 
way  and  by  the  end  of  the  day  came  to  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  where  it  was  a  question  whether  it 
was  prudent  to  cross  or  not.  It  was  only  thirty- 
six  miles  across  but  the  storm  had  whipped  the 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  189 

lake  into  such  a  swell  that  it  was  noon  of  the  third 
day  before  the  General  dared  start. 

Night  overtook  the  force  on  the  lake.  It  was 
extremely  dark,  and  the  boats  on  ahead  carried 
lights  for  the  guidance  of  those  astern.  About 
eleven  o'clock  the  wind  shifted  and  it  began  to 
rain.  A  heavy  swell  rolled  in,  and  Hamilton  be- 
came alarmed  for  the  safety  of  his  men.  Late 
in  the  night  Hamilton's  own  boat  discerned  a 
beach  and  waiting  until  he  could  see  the  lights 
of  the  others  he  signalled  to  them  to  follow.  In 
spite  of  the  rain  and  the  wind  all  the  boats 
reached  an  oozy  shore  where  the  men  remained  in 
much  discomfort  during  the  rest  of  the  night. 

In  the  morning  they  found  the  mouth  of  the 
Maumee  River,  and  the  storm  continuing,  the 
party  landed  to  rest  upon  the  spot  where  now 
stands  the  city  of  Toledo.  Here  the  soldiers 
shivered  in  the  cold,  for  the  wind  was  so  strong 
and  the  wood  so  wet  they  could  not  build  a  fire. 
They  spread  what  tents  they  could  and  sheltered 
themselves,  and  ate  of  cold  food  and  waited  until 
better  weather  should  allow  them  to  move  on. 

The  next  day  the  storm  subsided,  and  the  Gen- 
eral was  making  ready  to  depart  when  to  his  sur- 
prise DeCeleron  appeared  in  a  boat  coming  down 
the  river  on  his  way  to  Detroit.  He  landed  and 
went  to  the  General's  tent. 


190  The  Trail  Blazers 

"The  rebels  are  on  their  way  to  the  Miamis, 
and  are  headed  for  Detroit,"  he  told  Hamilton. 
"A  large  force  appeared  at  Wea  and  I  was  com- 
pelled to  flee  to  save  my  life.  I  hear  the  tribes 
all  along  the  way  are  making  peace  with  the 
Americans." 

Hamilton  had  his  suspicions  of  DeCeleron  for 
he  knew  him  to  be  of  a  cowardly  nature  and 
much  given  to  exaggeration. 

"Did  you  see  any  of  the  rebels?" 

"No,  but  Indian  scouts  told  me  about  them, 
and  I  was  hastening  to  let  you  know." 

"I  have  already  had  the  news  some  days  ago, 
but  unlike  you  I  am  not  afraid  of  the  rebels  until 
I  see  them,  nor  do  I  believe  everything  an  Indian 
tells  me.  You  may  go  on  to  Detroit,  for  I  have 
no  need  of  men  who  run  away  before  an  enemy 
comes  in  sight." 

DeCeleron  was  silent  with  mortification  at  this 
rebuke  from  his  commander.  But  he  was  not 
sensitive  and  was  glad  to  go  back  to  the  village, 
preferring  the  security  of  a  fort  to  the  open 
woods  where  the  Long  Knives  might  be. 

The  next  day  the  men  began  the  ascent  of  the 
Maumee  River,  some  going  in  the  boats,  others 
in  canoes,  while  still  others  marched  in  disorderly 
fashion  along  the  banks.  At  night,  however, 
Hamilton  was  careful  to  gather  all  the  men  in 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  191 

regular  camp  fashion  and  post  his  sentries,  for  he 
was  taking  no  chances  against  a  rebel  force  that 
might,  after  all,  be  on  its  way  to  Detroit. 

In  spite  of  the  heavy  rain  that  Hamilton  had 
encountered  on  his  start,  the  waters  of  the  Mau- 
mee  were  very  low  and  the  going  was  hard.  In 
some  places  the  boats  scraped  upon  the  muddy 
bottom  or  were  stuck,  in  which  case  the  men  on 
the  banks  had  to  lend  a  hand  in  shoving  them 
free  or  dragging  them  over  shallow  places. 
Their  progress  was  slow.  It  took  two  weeks  to 
reach  the  headwaters  of  the  stream,  and  the  place 
where  the  boats  and  the  baggage  had  to  be  car- 
ried overland  by  portage  to  Little  River,  one  of 
the  tributaries  of  the  Wabash.  The  distance  was 
only  nine  miles  but  the  difficulties  were  very 
great. 

At  the  headwaters  of  the  Maumee  was  a  vil- 
lage of  the  Miami  Indians.  Hamilton  told  them 
he  was  on  the  warpath  and  was  going  south  to 
punish  his  enemies.  Of  course  their  chiefs  and 
braves  were  anxious  to  join  him.  The  force  was 
increased  to  three  hundred  men,  but  all  the  re- 
cruits he  picked  up  as  he  went  along  were  In- 
dians. These  Miamis  he  made  help  with  the 
portage.  They  were  husky  savages,  accustomed 
to  cold  and  hardship.  When  they  asked  to  join 
him  he  made  it  a  condition  that  they  would  do 


192  The  Trail  Blazers 

some  of  the  carrying  as  well  as  some  of  the  fight- 
ing. 

The  boats  were  then  dismantled,  at  least  the 
smaller  ones  were,  and  placed  on  poles  for  the 
backs  of  the  stout  warriors  to  struggle  with  for 
the  nine  miles  through  the  woods.  The  canoes 
were  more  easily  handled.  The  provisions  and 
ammunition  were  packed  in  bales  and  loaded  on 
the  men's  shoulders.  In  this  way,  in  a  few  days, 
all  the  necessities  of  food  and  fighting  material 
were  carried  from  the  headwaters  of  one  river  to 
the  headwaters  of  another,  and  the  force  rested, 
ready  to  proceed  down  the  Wabash  as  they  had 
proceeded  up  the  Maumee. 

Fortunately  the  weather  was  good  during  the 
portage.  Hamilton  himself  watched  everything 
with  great  care.  The  country  was  level,  with  no 
mountains  to  cross,  the  woods  were  open  and 
abounding  in  ash,  beech,  oak  and  other  fine  tim- 
ber that  some  day  was  to  furnish  material  for 
valuable  industries  of  a  prosperous  civilization. 
The  General  could  not  foresee  that  in  less  than 
a  hundred  years  there  would  be  a  dozen  big  cities 
within  less  than  a  hundred  miles  of  the  land  over 
which  he  was  leading  a  band  of  foreigners  and 
savages. 

Down  the  Wabash  the  force  proceeded  pain- 
fully.   The  weather  became  frosty  and  cold  as 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  193 

the  winter  set  in.  The  floating  ice  cut  the  men  as 
they  worked  in  the  water  to  haul  the  boats  over 
rocks  and  shoals.  The  canoes  and  bateaux  were 
damaged  and  had  repeatedly  to  be  unloaded, 
hauled  to  land  and  repaired.  It  was  sometimes 
a  day's  work  to  go  a  mile  and  a  half.  It  was 
necessary  to  stop  at  the  Indian  villages  along 
the  river  to  have  "talk"  with  the  savages,  to  get 
some  supplies,  to  give  them  a  few  presents,  and 
engage  a  few  men  to  take  the  places  of  those  sons 
of  the  forest  who  dropped  out  tired  and  dis- 
gusted with  so  much  labor  and  so  few  scalps. 

When  the  boats  reached  deep  water,  the  trouble 
was  not  over,  for  then  the  river  froze  and  the  ice 
had  to  be  beaten  and  cracked  to  let  the  boats  pro- 
ceed. If  the  rain  had  fallen,  the  men  would  have 
been  quite  helpless,  for  without  fire  and  food 
they  could  not  have  survived.  Fortunately  the 
weather  was  dry  though  it  was  bitter  cold  at 
times.  At  night  huge  fires  kept  the  men  warm 
while  plenty  of  food  kept  them  strong. 

When  Hamilton  reached  Wea,  the  Indians 
there  received  him  without  surprise  or  hostility. 
They  knew  of  his  approach  but  were  perfectly 
passive,  not  caring  whether  he  came  or  not.  The 
French  settlers  were  equally  indifferent. 

"What  flag  is  that  over  this  miserable  fort?" 
he  asked  of  one  of  the  chiefs. 


194  The  Trail  Blazers 

"Not  know — not  care,"  was  the  answer. 

"Who  put  it  there?" 

"White  man — big  chief  Long  Knives — you 
take  it  down,  we  no  care — we  take  your  oath 
too,"  which  was  much  the  way  of  the  Indian. 

Hamilton  hauled  down  the  American  flag, 
made  the  garrison  left  by  Helm  prisoners  and 
then  released  them  on  parole.  The  British  flag 
again  floated  over  the  stockade  but  what  cared 
the  inhabitants?    It  was  all  one  to  them. 

Some  chiefs  who  had  been  hunting  came  in  and 
explained  that  DeCeleron  had  left  them  when 
the  Long  Knives  were  approaching,  and  that 
Captain  Helm  had  given  them  American  flags 
to  wear.  They  wore  them  as  a  kind  of  ornament 
and  seemed  proud  of  the  possession  and  ill- 
pleased  when  Hamilton  took  the  flags  from 
around  their  waists  and  threw  them  in  the  fire. 
The  Indians  also  bitterly  complained  that  De- 
Celeron  had  not  distributed  the  presents  they  ex- 
pected, but  had  kept  them  for  himself. 

"Just  as  I  thought,"  exclaimed  the  General. 
"That  fellow  is  not  only  a  coward  and  a  traitor, 
but  also  a  thief." 

The  savages  at  Wea  all  gave  Hamilton  their 
promise  to  spread  themselves  in  all  directions  in 
the  spring  in  their  attacks  upon  the  white  settle- 
ments along  the  Ohio. 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  195 

Early  in  December  Hamilton  resumed  his 
march  down  the  Wabash  on  the  way  to  capture 
a  town  which  he  supposed  to  be  full  of  rebel 
soldiers  and  surrounded  by  numerous  Indian 
allies.  He  sent  forward  his  scouts  so  as  not  to 
be  surprised  himself.  These  scouts  overtook  and 
captured  four  men  whom  Helm  had  dispatched 
up  the  river  to  reconnoitre  for  information,  for  he 
had  heard  rumors  of  the  approach  of  an  attack- 
ing party  though  he  had  not  heard  from  where 
or  by  whom  conducted. 

When  the  men  were  brought  before  Hamilton 
he  questioned  them  closely.  "How  many  soldiers 
are  in  Vincennes?"  he  asked. 

"We  do  not  know,"  was  the  reply. 

"Is  Colonel  Clark  there,  or  is  he  at  Kaskaskia?" 

"We  have  not  seen  him." 

"Have  the  Indians  turned  their  alliance  to 
the  Americans  or  are  they  still  friends  of  the 
British?"  asked  Hamilton,  now  with  some  irrita- 
tion. 

"Some  have  changed  and  some  have  not,"  was 
the  evasive  reply. 

"What  tribes  have  changed?" 

"We  do  not  know." 

"I  am  of  a  mind  to  hang  all  four  of  you.  I 
am  General  Hamilton,  from  Detroit.  Have  you 
ever  heard  of  me?" 


196  The  Trail  Blazers 

"Yes,"  said  the  Americans,  who  had  heard  of 
him  all  the  way  down  in  Virginia,  and  who  now 
looked  at  him  in  surprise  and  with  some  distrust. 

"I  suppose  you  will  let  the  Indians  take  our 
scalps  first,"  was  the  bold  reply  of  the  officer  in 
command  of  the  little  company. 

Hamilton  looked  at  him  fiercely  for  a  moment 
as  if  he  would  make  some  angry  retort,  then  he 
turned  to  the  guard. 

"Take  these  men  away  and  hold  them  as 
prisoners.  They  either  have  no  information 
worth  while,  or  they  have  no  mind  to  disclose  it. 
Don't  let  the  savages  get  at  them,  for  if  they 
are  hurt  and  the  people  of  Vincennes  know  it,  it 
will  be  hard  to  make  peace  once  we  are  there." 

Still  not  knowing  the  size  of  the  defence  of  the 
post  at  Vincennes,  the  Lieutenant-Governor  took 
precautions  to  send  off  scouting  parties  ahead  of 
his  march  to  prevent  information  of  his  approach 
reaching  the  village.  Then,  with  his  motley 
crowd  of  French  and  British  soldiers,  and  his 
savage  followers,  in  all  amounting  to  five  hun- 
dred, he  dropped  down  the  Wabash  River  until 
he  came  in  sight  of  Vincennes.  He  saw  the 
"rebel"  flag  floating  over  the  fort  and  supposed 
that  the  Amerioan  commandant  had  a  force  be- 
hind him.  Hamilton  had  been  on  the  way  for 
seventy-one  days,  covering  six  hundred  miles. 


The  Hair  Buyer  at  Detroit  197 

In  sight  of  the  end  of  his  journey  he  landed  the 
men,  posted  guards,  sent  forward  a  flanking 
party  and  made  ready  for  a  general  engagement 
with  the  Americans.  He  did  not  know  that 
Helm  had  sent  nearly  all  his  forces  back  to 
Ivaskaskia  and  was  almost  alone  in  the  fort. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  BIG  GATE  CARRIES  A  MESSAGE 

CAPTAIN  Helm  at  Vincennes  was  not  en- 
tirely ignorant  of  the  approach  of  Hamil- 
ton. He  had  sent  out  scouting  parties  from  time 
to  time  to  bring  him  information  of  the  move- 
ments of  the  enemy.  One  of  these  parties  had 
been  captured  as  we  related  in  the  last  chapter 
and  the  Captain  had  waited  in  vain  for  their  re- 
turn. Other  spies,  however,  brought  in  reliable 
news  that  the  British  were  on  their  final  march 
and  were  not  far  from  Vincennes. 

Helm  had  a  small  cannon  which  he  ordered 
fired  when  he  wished  the  people  to  assemble.  On 
the  day  he  heard  Hamilton  was  near,  he  directed 
the  piece  to  be  discharged.  The  French  inhabi- 
tants, several  hundred  in  number,  came  hurriedly 
to  the  post  to  inquire  what  was  the  matter. 

"The  British  are  on  the  march  and  are  near  to 
Vincennes.  My  scouts  bring  word  they  are  many 
in  number,  and  that  their  Indian  allies  are  with 
them.  You  have  taken  an  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  American  flag  and  I  am  here  to  defend  this 

198 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      199 

fort  to  the  last  man.  Can  I  depend  on  you  to  be 
as  brave  in  deed  as  you  have  been  in  word?" 

The  inhabitants  were  alarmed  at  the  news. 
They  were  not  warlike  and  cared  less  for  their 
allegiance  to  a  flag  than  for  their  own  comfort 
and  safety.  There  was  little  enthusiasir  and  not 
much  response.  In  their  faces  there  was  more 
fear  of  what  Hamilton  would  do  to  them  than 
of  resolve  of  what  they  would  do  to  him. 

Helm  again  spoke  to  the  crowd:  "There  are 
only  two  Americans  here  besides  myself,  but 
there  are  enough  of  you  to  show  some  fight  to 
the  British.  You  have  guns  and  powder  and  we 
are  inside  the  fort  with  plenty  of  provisions. 
The  British  have  come  a  long  ways  and  are  worn 
out.  The  weather  is  cold,  for  it  is  now  the  middle 
of  December.  If  we  hold  them  off  for  a  week  or 
more,  the  Indians  will  get  tired  and  desert  them, 
or  the  Piankeshaws  will  attend  to  them.  If  we 
have  to  surrender  we  will  demand  the  honors  of 
war.    Let  us  not  be  cowards." 

Still  the  populace  showed  little  interest  in  the 
defence  of  their  town,  and  many  of  them  turned 
around  and  left  the  assembly.  Helm,  seeing  he 
could  place  no  reliance  in  any  of  them,  dismissed 
the  crowd  and  gave  his  attention  to  other  matters. 

In  a  few  hours  a  Frenchman  came  running 
into  the  village  out  of  breath  with  the  news.    "The 


200  The  Trail  Blazers 

British  are  within  three  miles  of  Vincennes.  I 
saw  their  flag.  They  are  landing  troops  and 
others  are  marching  down  the  banks.  I  saw 
painted  Indians  also,  many  of  them." 

When  the  rumbling  of  Hamilton's  approach 
reached  the  ears  of  those  who  were  guarding  the 
outskirts,  all  of  them  but  three  deserted  their 
places  and  hid  themselves  in  their  houses.  It 
was  reported  at  the  time  that  a  number  of  the 
people  went  boldly  out  to  meet  the  advancing 
British  and  delivered  to  them  their  arms,  sur- 
rendering before  they  had  been  asked  to  do  so. 

This  was  not  the  case  with  all  the  militia  at 
Vincennes  however.  There  were  a  few  who  stood 
by  the  Captain,  but  the  total  number  left  for  the 
entire  defence  of  the  town  was  not  more  than  a 
dozen,  and  of  those  there  was  Helm  himself  and  a 
blacksmith  residing  in  the  village  named  Moses 
Henry. 

Bravely  the  American  flag  floated  over  the 
dilapidated  fort.  On  came  the  steady  march  of 
Hamilton's  army,  who  halted  a  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  door  and  prepared  to  make  an 
attack  upon  what  they  supposed  might  be  a  con- 
siderable force.  Helm  watched  them  stop,  post 
their  troops,  and  make  ready  for  the  charge. 

He  smiled  grimly.    "I  may  as  well  do  my  part, 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      201 

if  I  have  to  do  it  alone.  I  shall  make  some  show 
of  defence  at  least." 

With  the  help  of  Moses  Henry  he  rolled  the 
old  cannon  to  the  door  of  the  fort  and  pointed  it 
toward  the  head  of  the  British  column.  Then 
loading  it  to  the  muzzle  he  took  a  lighted  match, 
according  to  the  way  they  fired  cannon  in  those 
days  and  alone  stood  at  the  door  of  the  fort  in 
a  defiant  and  warlike  manner.  Henry  stood 
close  behind  him,  enjoying  the  grim  humor  of 
the  American  who  was  thus  defending  the  cause 
he  had  espoused. 

"I  know  this  is  what  Clark  would  have  me  do. 
He  has  been  bluffing  his  way  all  through  this 
country  and  I  may  as  well  keep  it  up.  If  they 
make  a  rush  I  shall  ply  this  match,  and  if  the  old 
cannon  explodes  it  will  take  us  both  to  the  happy 
hunting  grounds  of  our  Indian  allies.  If  it  goes 
off  as  it  should,  heaven  help  the  few  in  front  of 
it,  for  it  is  jammed  full  of  powder  and  bears  a 
heavy  ball." 

Hamilton  and  his  men  came  within  a  hundred 
yards.  Helm  cried  out  with  a  mighty  voice: 
"Halt,  or  I  shall  fire!"  The  troops  halted,  see- 
ing the  loaded  cannon  with  its  muzzle  pointed  to 
them,  and  a  determined  officer  standing  by  with 
a  lighted  match  in  his  hand. 

Some  of  the  men  raised  their  guns  as  if  to  fire, 


202  The  Trail  Blazers 

but  Hamilton  wished  to  avoid  bloodshed  if  pos- 
sible, and  ordered  them  to  desist.  He  then  called 
out,  "Who  are  you  and  why  should  we  halt?  I 
am  Lieutenant-Governor  Hamilton,  and  I  de- 
mand the  surrender  of  this  fort  in  the  name  of 
King  George  and  the  British  Parliament." 

Came  the  clear  and  ready  answer,  "I  am  Cap- 
tain Leonard  Helm,  of  the  Long  Knives,  under 
command  of  Colonel  Clark,  now  in  possession  of 
all  the  Illinois  country.  I  defend  this  fort  in 
the  name  of  George  Washington  and  the  Conti- 
nental army," 

Hamilton  turned  to  confer  with  several  offi- 
cers who  were  with  him.  The  Indians  were  im- 
patient and  had  already  begun  to  chant  in  low 
tones  the  war  songs  that  preceded  the  butchery 
of  a  village.  Hamilton  thought  that  his  force 
was  probably  large  enough  to  overcome  any  op- 
position from  the  Americans,  but  he  also  knew 
that  once  an  attack  was  ordered  nothing  could 
stop  the  savages  from  a  general  massacre. 

Seeing  that  no  American  force  had  come  out 
to  offer  him  battle,  but  still  not  knowing  how 
many  were  behind  the  single  gun  at  the  door  of 
the  fort,  he  continued  to  parley: 

"If  we  attack  your  town,  we  will  destroy  your 
fort,  burn  your  houses,  and  I  am  not  responsible 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      203 

for  the  conduct  of  my  Indian  allies.  I  again  de- 
mand your  surrender." 

"No  man  shall  enter  here  until  I  know  the 
terms  required  of  me,"  was  the  defiant  reply. 

Hamilton  thought  a  moment,  and  then  said  to 
Helm  who  still  stood  ready  to  carry  out  his  threat 
of  firing  his  cannon  if  the  troops  advanced: 

"You  shall  have  the  honors  of  war,  the  safety 
of  yourself  and  all  the  soldiers  with  you,  and 
your  town  shall  suffer  no  damage." 

"Under  those  conditions  I  surrender  this  fort 
to  superior  numbers  and  under  the  compulsion 
of  a  force  that  I  cannot  resist,"  replied  Helm, 
lowering  his  match. 

Hamilton  communicated  this  information  to 
his  men  who  in  turn  told  the  Indians.  These 
latter  received  it  with  much  dissatisfaction,  for 
they  had  hoped  for  some  blood  at  the  end  of  a 
long  march  and  of  so  much  hard  labor  put  upon 
them  by  their  leaders. 

The  British  officer  approached  the  fort  and 
Helm  saluted  him  according  to  the  usage  of  war- 
fare when  one  officer  surrenders  to  another. 
"Where  are  your  troops?"  demanded  the  Gen- 
eral. 

"Troops?"  said  Helm.  "There  are  no  troops. 
Only  myself  and  Moses  Henry,  a  blacksmith  of 
Vincennes.    You  could  have  taken  us  with  a  score 


204  The  Trail  Blazers 

of  soldiers,  instead  of  the  brave  five  hundred  you 
appear  to  have." 

Hamilton  was  surprised  and  somewhat  morti- 
fied. Here  he  had  marched  six  hundred  miles, 
in  over  two  months,  with  a  large  force  and  at 
great  expense  and  precaution,  to  be  met  by  two 
men  and  one  of  them  demanding  and  receiving 
the  terms  of  an  honorable  surrender.  Surely 
he  would  be  the  target  of  many  a  joke  if  it  should 
ever  be  known  at  headquarters. 

However  he  went  about  the  surrender  in  the 
usual  way.  The  British  flag  was  raised  over  the 
fort,  Helm  and  Henry  were  made  prisoners  of 
war,  and  sentries  were  placed  at  the  gates  to  keep 
out  the  savages. 

The  sentries  were  not  quick  enough,  however, 
to  keep  all  the  savages  from  entering  the  village. 
A  number  of  them  had  found  their  way  in  and 
were  already  uttering  war  whoops.  The  inhabi- 
tants were  terrified  and  barricaded  their  doors. 
Hamilton  called  for  the  chiefs  and  ordered  them 
to  restrain  the  Indians,  but  the  chiefs  were  either 
unwilling  or  were  powerless  to  stop  the  intruders. 

A  sentry  had  been  posted  at  the  door  of  Cap- 
tain Helm's  quarters  to  which  he  had  retired 
after  surrendering.  A  group  of  Indians  rushed 
upon  the  sentry  and  overpowered  him.  Then 
they  broke  down  the  door  and  clambered  into 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      205 

the  room  where  Helm  sat  smiling  and  apparently- 
unconcerned. 

Knowing  they  could  not  understand  Eng- 
lish, he  yet  called  out  to  them,  "Go  it,  you 
devils!  You  have  been  brought  here  to  murder 
and  steal,  now  do  your  worst." 

By  this  time  several  British  guards  arrived  and 
stood  before  the  prisoner  to  protect  his  life.  The 
savages  turned  from  their  prey  and  began  plun- 
dering the  house,  the  guard  offering  no  protest 
to  their  violence.  Other  Indians  were  plunder- 
ing other  houses  in  spite  of  the  entreaties  of  the 
inhabitants  to  be  let  alone  and  that  they  were 
friends  of  the  British.  It  was  all  one  to  the  dusky 
sons  of  the  forest.  They  had  come  to  plunder 
Vincennes  and  whether  it  was  friend  or  foe  they 
proposed  to  have  their  toll  of  what  they  wanted. 

Fortunately  not  a  shot  was  fired  by  the  In- 
dians or  by  any  of  the  inhabitants.  If  there  had 
been,  in  all  probability  the  settlement  would  have 
been  destroyed  in  an  hour's  time  and  every  soul 
in  it  been  tomahawked  by  the  marauders.  At 
length  the  Indians,  having  entered  the  houses  and 
taken  as  much  of  the  plunder  as  they  desired,  be- 
came quiet  and  agreed  to  pitch  their  camp  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  village.  Here  they  settled  down 
unmindful  of  the  snow  and  cold  to  which  they 
had  long  been  accustomed. 


206  The  Trail  Blazers 

Thus  it  was  that  Vincennes,  otherwise  known 
as  Fort  Sackville,  fell  again  into  the  hands  of 
the  British. 

Two  days  after  the  surrender  Hamilton  called 
the  people  into  the  church.  There  he  found  that 
the  village  contained  about  six  hundred  men, 
women  and  children,  and  that  there  were  over  two 
hundred  capable  of  bearing  arms  as  soldiers. 
When  he  saw  them  before  him  he  said  to  himself: 
"Here  are  two  hundred  good  soldiers,  and  in  the 
neighborhood  are  tribes  of  Indians  whom  Helm 
has  made  friendly.  If  they  had  shown  any 
courage  at  all  we  never  could  have  taken  this 
place.  And  to  think  we  met  only  one  man  at  the 
door  of  the  fort."  These  reflections  increased  his 
esteem  of  Captain  Helm,  but  did  not  improve 
his  opinion  of  the  changeable  disposition  of  the 
people. 

To  them  he  assumed  a  menacing  tone.  "I 
have  called  you  here  to  let  you  know  you  have 
acted  in  a  cowardly  way,  full  of  ingratitude  to 
your  sovereign,  the  king  of  England,  and  of  base 
treachery  to  the  British  flag.  Since  you  have 
laid  down  your  arms  and  sued  for  protection 
I  shall  let  you  be  secure  in  your  persons 
and  property.  What  things  the  Indians  have 
taken  away,  I  shall  make  the  chiefs  restore 
to  you,  but  you  must  renew  your  oath  of  al- 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      207 

legiance  in  whatever  terms  I  shall  dictate  and  you 
must  sign  your  own  names,  or  I  shall  treat  you 
as  prisoners  of  war  and  deal  with  you  as  I  see 
fit." 

The  General  then  wrote  out  the  oath  the  peo- 
ple were  to  take,  in  the  following  words : 

"We  declare  that  we  have  taken  the  oath  of 
allegiance  to  the  American  government  and  in 
so  doing  have  forgotten  our  duty  towards  God 
and  have  failed  towards  men.  We  ask  the  par- 
don of  God  and  we  hope  for  the  mercy  of  our 
sovereign,  the  king  of  England,  and  pray  that 
he  will  accept  our  submission  and  take  us  under 
his  protection  as  good  and  faithful  subjects, 
which  we  promise  to  become  before  God  and 
men." 

It  is  hard  to  say  which  was  the  most  disgrace- 
ful, Hamilton  for  requiring  such  an  oath  or  the 
people  for  taking  it.  It  was  quite  a  different  kind 
of  oath  from  that  which  Clark  had  required  of 
the  citizens  of  Kaskaskia  and  the  other  towns 
over  on  the  Mississippi.  However,  in  a  few  days 
it  was  signed  by  the  people,  and  the  ensign  of 
St.  George  floated  over  the  fort,  and  the  citizens 
went  about  their  business  as  usual. 

Hamilton  decided  to  settle  himself  in  Vin- 
cennes  for  the  winter  and  not  proceed  against 
Kaskaskia.    The  weather  was  severe,  rains  had 


208  The  Trail  Blazers 

swollen  the  rivers,  and  he  was  afraid  that  should 
he  withdraw  his  troops,  and  a  force  of  Americans 
should  appear,  the  people  would  change  their 
allegiance  again.  Then  he  was  not  sure  of  his 
Indian  allies.  They  might  leave  him  in  a  body 
any  time,  for  their  alliance  was  as  fickle  as  the 
wind,  and  as  uncertain  as  running  water. 

Captain  Helm  was  brought  to  Hamilton  under 
guard  of  several  soldiers.  The  General  and  his 
prisoner  looked  at  each  other  with  mutual  in- 
terest.   The  General  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"Now  that  you  have  surrendered  this  place 
to  his  British  majesty  I  shall  expect  you  to  take 
the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  British  flag.  If  you 
do  so,  I  shall  see  that  you  get  an  ample  reward." 

"I  am  not  so  changeable  in  my  allegiance  as 
are  the  French  of  these  villages  and  the  savages 
of  the  woods.  It  is  no  disgrace  to  be  a  prisoner, 
but  it  would  be  one  to  be  a  traitor,"  replied  Helm, 
the  color  mounting  to  his  face. 

"And  are  you  not  already  a  traitor  and  a  rebel 
to  your  mother  country  ?  Are  not  all  you  Ameri- 
cans the  same?  Were  you  not  born  and  reared 
and  nurtured  under  the  British  flag,  and  have  you 
not  disowned  the  government  that  has  protected 
you?  What  I  ask  of  you  is  to  return  to  the 
allegiance  you  have  abandoned." 

Helm  controlled  himself  under  this  outburst 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      209 

of  the  British  commander.  It  was  in  his  mind 
to  smite  the  man  before  him  for  his  insulting 
words,  but  he  answered  calmly. 

"I  was  born  under  the  British  flag,  as  were 
other  millions  of  people.  From  my  youth  I  rev- 
erenced the  country  that  we  referred  to  as  mother. 
My  ancestors  fought  in  the  wars  that  were  waged 
to  protect  this  frontier  from  foreigners  and  sav- 
ages. What  have  we  gotten  in  return?  Read 
our  Declaration  of  Independence  and  you  will 
find  in  it  a  list  of  grievances  that  would  absolve 
any  people  from  further  allegiance  to  so  obstinate 
a  king  and  so  subservient  a  Parliament.  It  is  all 
set  forth  there." 

"A  fig  for  your  Declaration.  It  is  all  non- 
sense," exclaimed  Hamilton,  testily. 

"At  any  rate  the  count  is  easy,"  was  the  reply. 
"Every  American  has  read  it  and  knows  it  tells 
the  truth." 

"What  are  the  counts?" 

"Your  foolish  King  George,  led  by  unwise  ad- 
visers and  out  of  sympathy  with  his  people,  has 
refused  his  assent  to  necessary  laws  for  the  colo- 
nies and  forbidden  his  governors  to  make  any  for 
themselves ;  he  kept  standing  armies  quartered  on 
our  people,  who  insulted  them  and  ate  all  their 
substance;  he  cut  off  our  trade  with  all  ports  of 
the  world;  he  imposed  taxes  on  us  without  our 


210  The  Trail  Blazers 

consent;  deprived  us  in  many  cases  of  trial  by 
jury;  he  transported  us  beyond  seas  for  trial  for 
pretended  offences,  and  when  we  appealed  in 
respectful  tones  we  were  answered  with  harsh 
words.  Even  now  his  armies  are  ravaging  our 
coasts,  burning  our  towns,  and  killing  our  people. 
Such  a  king  is  not  fit  to  be  the  ruler  of  a  free 
people,  and  we  here  love  liberty  too  much  to  bow 
our  heads  to  the  yoke  of  oppression." 

Hamilton  had  no  answer  for  the  fervid  words 
of  the  patriot  who  stood  unafraid  before  him.  He 
knew  too  well  the  character  of  his  king,  his  self- 
will,  his  obstinacy,  his  shortsightedness,  and  his 
oppressive  measures.  He  knew  also  that  the 
English  people  sympathized  with  the  colonists, 
and  that  in  Parliament  the  cause  of  America  had 
some  brave  defenders.  He  looked  at  Helm  in 
some  admiration  and  some  surprise  at  the  defi- 
ance in  his  tone. 

"Furthermore,"  continued  Helm,  "he  has  sent 
officers  over  here  who  have  incited  these  blood- 
thirsty savages  to  the  utmost  cruelty  of  warfare. 
All  along  the  border  of  the  Ohio  the  tomahawk 
and  the  firebrand  have  taken  toll  of  the  lives  of 
women,  children  and  old  men.  Perhaps  the  for- 
eign officers  did  not  know  the  nature  of  the  red 
man,  but  they  have  had  time  to  find  out.  And 
you  yourself,  sir,  are  accused  of  sending  war 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      211 

parties  out  to  the  white  settlements  with  orders 
not  to  bring  back  prisoners,  but  for  every  scalp 
there  was  a  reward  waiting.  I  pray  God  that 
such  is  not  true,  for  I  can  hardly  believe  a  civi- 
lized man  could  deliberately  buy  human  hair  torn 
from  the  heads  of  defenseless  creatures." 

Hamilton  rose  hastily  and  waved  his  hand. 
"Enough!  I  am  not  here  to  be  lectured  by  you 
about  the  doings  of  my  king  nor  listen  to  any 
impression  you  may  have  about  my  own  conduct. 
I  owe  you  no  explanations.  You  are  my  pris- 
oner. I  shall  confine  you  to  certain  limits  of 
this  town,  on  parole.  If  you  are  caught  beyond 
them  you  shall  be  shot.  If  you  stay  within  them 
you  will  receive  the  treatment  due  to  your  rank." 

Helm  saluted  and  was  about  to  go.  "One 
more  word,"  said  Hamilton.  "I  shall  spend  the 
winter  here.  Then  I  shall  proceed  to  do  with 
Kaskaskia  what  I  have  done  to  Vincennes.  I 
shall  not  ask  you  about  your  rebel  Colonel,  for 
I  already  know,  but  see  that  the  subject  of  this 
war  be  not  discussed  again,  for  otherwise  I  might 
not  be  as  generous." 

Helm  again  saluted  and  passed  out.  He  was 
given  his  parole  and  his  limits  were  fixed.  It 
is  but  just  to  say  that  in  the  weeks  that  followed 
he  and  Hamilton  established  a  kind  of  compan- 


212  The  Trail  Blazers 

ionship  that  served  both  to  pass  the  dreary  weeks 
of  much  snow  and  rain  and  discomfort. 

Hamilton's  first  concern  was  to  build  quarters 
for  his  men  and  storehouses  for  his  supplies. 
Then  he  went  vigorously  to  work  to  reconstruct 
the  old  fort  in  order  that  it  might  afford  better 
protection  for  his  men  in  case  of  an  attack.  He 
designed  the  new  fort  in  the  shape  of  a  triangle 
with  a  blockhouse  at  each  angle  where  guns  could 
be  mounted  and  men  posted  to  protect  the  sides 
of  the  fort.  His  work  was  done  by  his  own  sol- 
diers, for  the  inhabitants  were  as  slow  to  volunteer 
for  labor  as  they  were  swift  to  change  their 
allegiance. 

The  General  reported  to  headquarters  in  Que- 
bec that  the  village  was  built  in  a  very  straggling 
way,  that  the  houses  were  two  or  three  hundred 
feet  apart,  and  that  a  few  of  them  were  close 
beside  the  fort.  He  suggested  that  these  houses 
could  be  moved  or  destroyed,  to  which  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief made  the  caustic  comment,  "It 
might  have  been  easier  to  move  the  fort  than  it 
would  be  now  to  move  the  town." 

The  Indian  allies  of  the  British  were  engaged 
in  scouting  along  the  Ohio  and  war  parties  were 
sent  out  to  harry  the  Kentucky  settlements.  If 
they  came  back  with  scalps  the  General  was  care- 
ful that  his  prisoner  should  not  be  aware  of  it. 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      213 

In  all  probability  the  British  commander  did  not 
see  how  he  could  send  out  an  Indian  war  party, 
and  at  the  same  time  tell  the  savages  not  to  bring 
back  the  bloody  evidences  of  their  forays. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Big  Gate  who 
had  picked  up  a  little  English,  as  well  as  French, 
had  made  up  his  mind  after  the  customs  of  his 
race  to  cast  in  the  lot  of  his  tribe  with  the  Ameri- 
cans and  had  made  a  solemn  treaty  with  Captain 
Helm.  Hamilton  made  many  overtures  to  the 
solemn  savage  but  they  were  coldly  received. 
"Why  not  send  your  braves  on  the  warpath  to  the 
border  settlements?  You  can  burn  the  houses, 
and  get  food,  and  guns,  and  powder  to  hunt  next 
spring.  Why  sit  here  with  the  old  women  and 
the  old  men,  when  the  young  chiefs  are  away?" 

The  Big  Gate  shook  his  head.  "The  birds 
sing  no  more  of  war  with  my  brother,  the  chief  of 
the  Long  Knives.  We  have  buried  the  hatchet 
and  thrown  the  war  belt  into  the  water.  I  have 
smoked  the  pipe  with  him  and  his  men.  He  can 
now  sleep  in  my  wigwam  in  peace." 

"But  see,  there  is  no  one  here  but  him.  He  is 
one  and  we  are  many.  He  is  a  prisoner  and  we 
are  free.  I  will  give  you  many  presents  to  lead 
your  braves  over  to  Kaskaskia  and  help  me  drive 
the  Americans  away." 

"If  my  brother  is  a  prisoner  then  I  am  a  pris- 


214  The  Trail  Blazers 

oner  also.  I  have  taken  him  by  the  hand,  and  his 
home  is  my  home,"  and  nothing  that  the  General 
could  do  or  say  moved  the  Big  Gate  from  his 
determination. 

Solemnly  wrapping  his  furs  around  him,  he 
asked  where  Captain  Helm  was,  and,  on  being 
told,  went  at  once  to  his  quarters.  Helm  was  in 
his  room  seated  by  a  fire  when  the  Indian  came 
in  and  sat  down  on  the  floor.  The  prisoner  had 
supposed  that  his  ally  had  long  since  forgotten 
his  treaty  and  had  gone  off  with  others  of  his 
kind.  So  when  he  came  in  Helm  was  surprised 
and  not  a  little  perplexed,  but  he  said  nothing. 

The  Big  Gate  smoked  his  pipe  and  looked  in 
the  fire.  Then  he  handed  the  pipe  to  Helm  and 
said,  "We  smoke  same  pipe  once  more." 

The  Captain  understood,  and  taking  the  pipe 
smoked  it  several  times  and  handed  it  back  to 
the  Indian. 

"White  chief  over  there  wants  me  to  dig  up 
hatchet  and  put  on  war  paint,"  said  the  Big 
Gate,  pointing  towards  Hamilton's  headquarters. 

"Will  my  brother  leave  me  now,  after  we  have 
smoked  the  pipe?" 

"I  told  white  chief  I  no  go.  You  are  a  pris- 
oner and  I  am  one  also.     I  stay  here  with  you." 

The  Big  Gate  assumed  voluntary  confinement 
to  the  limits  allotted  the  prisoner.    There  was  no 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      215 

reason  why  he  should  but  that  was  his  fancy,  and 
while  there  was  no  requirement  made  of  him  and 
he  could  go  as  he  pleased,  he  pleased  to  go  only 
so  far  as  Captain  Helm  went  and  no  farther. 

Weeks  passed  while  Hamilton  had  his  men  cut- 
ting wood  from  the  forest  and  building  the  fort 
he  had  designed.  A  long  barracks  was  also 
thrown  up  as  a  shelter  for  the  soldiers  who  could 
not  find  comfortable  quarters  in  the  houses  of  the 
inhabitants.  The  increase  of  the  population  by 
the  coming  of  the  British  made  a  scarcity  of  sup- 
plies which  was  met  by  sending  detachments  for 
food  up  the  river  to  the  British  posts  in  spite  of 
the  ice  and  rain.  The  winter  settled  down  hard 
and  cold.  Oftentimes  the  rain  fell  for  days,  and 
then  a  freeze  would  follow.  The  men  huddled 
over  the  fires  in  the  poorly  built  houses  while  the 
Indians  wrapped  up  in  their  blankets  and  furs 
and  slept  like  bears  in  a  cave. 

No  news  came  to  Captain  Helm  of  affairs 
about  Kaskaskia.  He  had  no  idea  if  Clark  knew 
of  the  capture  of  Vincennes.  Neither  did  he 
know  if  Hamilton  had  sent  another  expedition 
against  the  Mississippi  towns,  or  if  they  had 
shared  the  fate  of  the  fort  he  had  surrendered. 
Hamilton  had  said  he  intended  to  move  against 
Kaskaskia  in  the  spring,  but  no  dependence  could 


216  The  Trail  Blazers 

be  placed  on  statements  of  that  sort  in  time  of 
war. 

It  came  into  Helm's  mind  that  he  should  make 
an  effort  to  inform  Clark  of  the  situation  at  Vin- 
cennes  and  the  presence  of  Hamilton  and  let  the 
Colonel  act  as  his  own  intrepid  nature  should  sug- 
gest. The  question  was  how  it  should  be  done. 
He  was  a  prisoner  closely  watched,  and  there  was 
no  one  who  could  be  depended  upon  to  carry  a 
message.  It  required  courage  and  knowledge  of 
the  trail  besides  secrecy  of  movement.  Moses 
Henry  was  too  clumsy  for  such  a  mission,  and 
as  for  the  French  inhabitants  there  was  not  one 
that  Helm  would  trust.  Still,  the  Captain  knew 
that  Clark  should  get  some  word  in  order  to  guide 
his  future  movements. 

The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  write  the  message. 
There  was  no  lack  of  paper  and  other  writing 
material,  but  he  was  seldom  alone  and  there  were 
vigilant  eyes  watching  him.  There  were  cracks 
in  the  door  and  in  the  window  by  which  he  could 
easily  be  seen  day  and  night. 

He  complained  of  being  sick  and  desired  to  go 
to  bed  and  be  left  undisturbed  for  awhile.  Since 
his  movements  were  at  his  own  disposal  there  was 
no  objection  to  this  and  so  the  Captain  went  to 
bed,  taking  with  him  some  paper  whereon  he 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      217 

intended  to  set  down  his  message  to  his  com- 
mander. 

Then  under  the  blanket  with  infinite  care  he 
wrote  what  he  desired  Clark  to  know.  It  was  a 
difficult  task  since  there  was  slight  protection 
from  the  outside,  and  soldiers  were  constantly 
coming  into  his  room.  It  is  one  of  the  exactions 
of  all  prisoners  that  whatever  they  write  shall  be 
read  by  their  captors  before  it  is  delivered.  Helm 
was  under  no  oath  or  promise  to  do  this  and  if 
he  could  get  a  note  delivered  without  being  seen 
it  was  his  right. 

The  note  contained  a  statement  of  all  that  had 
happened  from  the  time  that  the  British  force 
was  first  heard  from.  There  was  fully  laid  forth 
the  unwillingness  of  the  French  inhabitants  to  de- 
fend their  town  though  they  were  numerous 
enough  to  hold  the  enemy  at  bay,  also  the  inci- 
dents of  the  surrender  of  the  village,  and  Helm's 
imprisonment. 

"I  have  been  treated  well,  and  cannot  com- 
plain of  the  courtesy  or  kindness  of  the  general 
in  command,"  the  note  continued.  "I  am  a  pris- 
oner in  bounds,  but  have  suffered  no  hardship. 
I  understand  that  a  proposal  will  be  made  to 
exchange  me  for  Rocheblave,  but  I  advise  against 
it.  The  British  will  not  move  against  you  until 
the  spring,  unless  they  have  already  done  so  from 


218  The  Trail  Blazers 

another  quarter,  therefore  it  is  important  for  you 
to  know  that  Hamilton  is  housed  quietly  in  this 
place  waiting  his  time  to  do  for  Kaskaskia  what 
he  has  done  for  Vincennes  and  then  drive  us  all 
out  of  this  territory.  I  know  you  too  well  to 
believe  you  will  allow  that  to  be  done." 

There  were  other  things  in  the  note,  about  the 
number  of  the  troops,  the  building  of  the  fort, 
the  layout  of  the  town,  the  Indian  allies,  and  the 
general  attitude  of  the  people  toward  the  British. 

After  an  hour  or  more  Helm  arose  and  dressed 
and  sat  beside  the  fire  meditating  upon  some 
method  of  delivering  the  note  which  he  had  care- 
fully folded  and  sealed. 

The  Big  Gate  came  in  and  sat  on  the  floor  as 
was  his  custom.  For  nearly  a  week  he  had  de- 
clined to  go  beyond  the  bounds  allotted  to  Helm. 
He  seemed  to  enjoy  being  a  prisoner,  and  all 
efforts  to  get  him  to  return  to  his  wigwam  were 
unavailing.  To  every  question  he  replied:  "Me 
prisoner,  with  my  brother,  the  Long  Knife." 

An  idea  came  into  Helm's  mind:  Why  not 
get  the  Big  Gate  to  take  the  note?  He  seemed  to 
be  the  best  chance,  and  the  Captain  at  once  re- 
solved to  try.  So  he  began  the  conversation, 
painfully  making  the  savage  understand  him, 
sitting  near  to  the  Indian  and  speaking  in  a  low 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      219 

tone,  so  that  an  outsider  might  not  hear  the 
words. 

"Big  Gate,  do  you  know  the  trail  through  the 
forest  to  the  great  river,  over  there  where  your 
brothers,  the  Kaskaskias,  live?" 

"Me  know.     Been  there  lots  times." 

"Would  you  like  to  go  to  see  the  Big  Chief  of 
the  Long  Knives  and  get  some  presents  from 
him?" 

"You  go  too?"  was  the  quick  and  direct  ques- 
tion. 

"No,  I  cannot  go.  I  am  a  prisoner  and  cannot 
get  away." 

"Me  prisoner  too.     Me  no  get  away." 

"But  you  can  go  if  you  wish,  anyhow,  and  you 
can  come  back  and  be  a  prisoner  again." 

The  Indian  shook  his  head,  and  seemed 
offended  that  his  brother  should  desire  to  get  rid 
of  him.  He  rose  to  go,  but  Helm  laid  his  hand 
on  his  arm  to  detain  him. 

"Big  Gate,  you  say  you  are  my  brother.  I 
want  you  to  help  me.  I  have  some  words  for  the 
Big  Chief  to  hear.  They  are  on  this  paper.  I 
want  you  to  take  this  paper  to  the  Big  Chief  at 
Kaskaskia  and  let  it  speak  to  him.  You  must 
not  let  anyone  see  it  or  let  it  speak  to  anyone  but 
him." 

The  Big  Gate  looked  interested  but  still  doubt- 


220  The  Trail  Blazers 

ful.  The  Captain  continued,  "You  will  see  the 
Big  Chief.  You  can  take  him  by  the  hand.  You 
can  eat  his  food,  and  see  his  braves.  You  can 
take  some  of  your  young  men  with  you." 

"Will  the  Big  Chief  let  me  come  back  to  my 
people  and  to  you  and  be  prisoner  once  more?" 

"Yes." 

"Then  I  go.  Give  me  the  paper  that  speaks. 
I  leave  today.     But  I  get  back  soon." 

Captain  Helm  took  the  note  from  his  own 
jacket  and  put  it  in  the  belt  that  the  Indian  wore 
around  his  waist.  He  carefully  concealed  it 
from  view,  thinking  it  was  perfectly  safe  in  the 
hands  of  so  trustworthy  and  devoted  a  friend. 

The  Indian  arose  and  prepared  to  depart.  He 
seemed  to  understand  and  appreciate  his  mission. 
He  wrapped  his  blanket  around  him  and  stalked 
majestically  and  solemnly  from  the  room. 

Once  outside  he  started  for  the  palisades  and 
in  a  few  moments  was  beyond  the  bounds  he  had 
set  for  himself.  Those  who  watched  him  were 
surprised  at  this  and  wondered  what  change  had 
taken  place  in  his  determination.  Down  the 
street  of  the  village  he  went,  his  steps  still  slow 
and  cautious.  All  would  have  gone  well  had 
not  some  soldiers  more  adventurous  than  the  rest 
accosted  him  and  taken  hold  of  the  blanket  that 
was  around  him. 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      221 

The  Indian  turned  in  fury.  He  was  a  chief 
and  not  accustomed  to  any  indignity.  Besides 
that,  he  was  no  friend  of  the  redcoats  and  resented 
any  familiarity  from  them.  The  soldier  still 
persisted  in  holding  the  blanket  and  finally  it  fell 
from  the  form  of  the  savage  and  lay  upon  the 
ground.  The  man,  half  intoxicated,  laughed 
aloud,  and  tried  to  catch  the  savage  around  the 
waist  as  if  to  wrestle  with  him,  which  was  a  favor- 
ite pastime  of  the  Indians  and  in  which  sport  the 
soldiers  often  joined. 

In  so  doing  the  belt  that  concealed  the  note 
broke  and  the  white  paper  fell  to  the  ground  in 
full  view  of  the  others  who  had  gathered  around 
to  witness  the  wrestling  match.  Seeing  a  paper 
fluttering  to  the  earth,  and  knowing  the  Big  Gate 
had  just  left  the  room  of  Captain  Helm,  a  man 
put  his  foot  upon  it  as  if  to  capture  it. 

The  Big  Gate  leaped  like  a  tiger.  He  was  a 
brawny  savage  in  the  prime  of  life,  well  known 
for  his  prowess  in  the  race  and  in  the  games  of 
his  tribe.  Long  inured  to  quick  action,  he 
caught  the  offending  redcoat  who  had  stepped 
on  the  precious  paper,  and  with  one  mighty  effort 
lifted  him  from  the  ground  and  threw  him  vio- 
lently among  the  others  standing  near.  He  fell 
like  a  bolt  from  a  battering  ram,  taking  a  half 
dozen  with  him.     The  Indian  himself  seized  the 


222  The  Trail  Blazers 

paper  from  the  ground  and  leaving  his  blanket 
where  it  had  fallen,  fled  like  the  wind  through 
the  streets  and  beyond  the  town. 

Behind  him  came  a  hue  and  cry.  The  soldiers 
were  no  runners  and  knew  it  was  a  hopeless  task 
to  overtake  a  fleet-footed  savage  racing  into  the 
wilds  of  his  own  woods.  But  there  were  Indian 
allies,  those  of  the  Wabash,  who  liked  not  the 
Piankeshaws,  and  who  were  jealous  of  the 
strength  and  skill  of  their  leader.  Oftentimes  he 
had  challenged  their  best  men  to  a  race,  and  left 
them  far  behind.  Once  he  had  broken  the  back  of 
a  Wabash  wrestler  by  throwing  him  across  a 
fallen  tree  in  a  match  of  strength.  Therefore, 
the  Wabash  who  held  alliance  with  Hamilton 
were  ready  for  action  against  any  or  all  of  the 
Piankeshaws. 

Hamilton  himself  appeared  on  the  scene. 
"Why  all  this  noise  and  what  is  the  meaning  of 
this  disturbance?"  demanded  he  of  the  bystanders. 

"The  Big  Gate  has  a  paper  and  has  fled  be- 
yond the  town  with  it.  He  flung  a  soldier  ten 
feet  who  tried  to  get  it." 

Hamilton  was  quick  to  understand.  "Ah,  a 
courier  to  Kaskaskia,  with  a  note  from  Helm. 
Quick,  some  horses." 

Horses  were  brought  out  from  the  corral,  and 
several    Indians   volunteered    to   mount    them. 


The  Big  Gate  Carries  a  Message      223 

Any  excitement  was  much  to  their  taste,  and  a 
wild  ride  after  a  Piankeshaw  chief  was  particu- 
larly so. 

The  orders  were  simple:  "Bring  back  the  Big 
Gate  dead  or  alive,"  and  the  race  was  on. 

But  the  Indian  had  already  a  half -hour  start 
and  was  almost  as  swift  as  a  horse  and  far  more 
cunning  than  his  pursuers.  Once  outside  the 
limits  of  the  village  he  plunged  into  the  forest, 
and  leaving  the  trail,  completely  encircled  the  vil- 
lage until  he  came  to  the  other  side.  The  pursuit 
kept  the  trail  straight  ahead  for  several  miles, 
halted,  dismounted,  and  searched  the  soft  ground 
for  evidences  of  recent  tracks.  None  could  be 
foimd.  They  knew  full  well  how  almost  hope- 
less it  is  to  catch  an  Indian  in  a  forest.  With 
the  stealth  and  hearing  of  a  wild  animal,  with 
the  color  of  the  wood  itself,  with  friendly  cover 
all  around,  it  is  about  as  hard  to  see  a  savage 
even  though  near  you  as  it  is  to  find  a  quail  hiding 
under  a  leaf. 

The  Wabash  tied  their  horses  together  and  left 
them  standing  while  they  scoured  the  forest  for 
sight  or  sound  of  the  fugitive. 

In  the  meantime  the  Big  Gate  had  gone  in  the 
opposite  direction  toward  the  camp  of  his  own 
tribe,  some  few  miles  distant.  Here  he  gathered 
three  more  of  his  best  followers,  told  them  what 


224  The  Trail  Blazers 

he  had  to  do,  and  entrusted  to  one  of  the  most 
reliable  the  speaking  paper,  and  directed  him  to 
take  it  to  Kaskaskia  and  the  Big  Chief  of  the 
Long  Knives  in  case  the  party  was  overtaken. 

Then  departing  by  night  the  wily  savages  sep- 
arated on  their  mission  agreeing  to  meet  at  stated 
times  at  certain  places.  By  morning  they  had 
eluded  all  pursuit  and  were  back  on  the  trail  to 
the  Mississippi  town,  while  the  Wabash  braves 
went  sullenly  home. 

When  Hamilton  accosted  Helm  and  accused 
him  of  sending  a  note  by  the  Indian,  Helm  re- 
plied with  a  smile,  "I  was  under  no  oath  to  refrain 
from  communicating  with  Clark.  That  part  was 
omitted  from  my  obligation." 

Hamilton  was  too  much  of  a  soldier  not  to 
recognize  that  Helm  had  fairly  outwitted  him, 
and  said  nothing  more. 


CHAPTER  IX 

CLAEK  MAKES  READY  TO  MARCH  ON  VINCENNES 

LET  us  now  return  to  Colonel  Clark,  whom 
we  left  in  complete  charge  of  Kaskaskia 
and  of  other  towns  on  the  Mississippi. 

During  the  summer  the  Colonel's  actions  had 
been  so  wise  and  prudent  that  his  authority  was 
pretty  well  established  in  the  villages  he  had  cap- 
tured. There  was  quiet  among  the  white  popula- 
tion and  the  Indians  were  peaceful  and  tranquil 
in  their  wigwams.  He  now  had  time  to  reflect 
upon  the  conquest  he  had  made,  as  perfect  so  far 
as  it  had  been  bloodless.  He  remembered,  how- 
ever, the  words  that  Governor  Henry  had  spoken 
to  him:  "I  must  observe  to  you  that  your  situa- 
tion is  critical,"  and  he  said  to  himself,  "The  Gov- 
ernor does  not  know  how  critical  the  situation  is. 
I  feel  that  I  am  sleeping  over  a  volcano  that  may 
overwhelm  me  at  any  moment." 

The  Colonel  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
British  at  Detroit  would  make  a  descent  on  the 
Illinois  country,  and  that  Kaskaskia  would  be 
the  ob j  ect  of  their  attack.     He  knew  in  all  reason 

225 


226  The  Trail  Blazers 

that  Hamilton  had  heard  of  the  presence  of  the 
Long  Knives,  and  probably  had  heard  of  their 
strength,  or  rather  of  their  weakness.  To  all  the 
inquiries  of  the  inhabitants  regarding  the  number 
of  his  men,  he  returned  vague  answers,  saying 
he  was  expecting  reinforcements  from  Virginia 
at  any  time.  To  such  Indians  as  came  and  went 
he  was  accustomed  to  say: 

"The  Long  Knives  are  many  and  stretch  far 
back  into  the  forest,  and  beyond  the  waters  of 
the  rivers.  Should  I  call  them  they  will  fall  upon 
these  villages  like  leaves  from  the  trees  in  winter." 

These  words  resulted  in  a  great  exaggeration 
of  the  size  of  his  army,  so  that  the  Indian  and 
French  messengers  to  Detroit  reported  three  or 
four  times  the  real  size  to  the  commander  at  that 
place. 

Clark  had  his  own  spies  in  the  field.  There 
was  a  kind  of  chain  of  information  by  which  word 
was  passed  on  from  village  to  village  and  from 
runner  to  runner,  so  that  the  movements  of  Ham- 
ilton were  soon  known  to  Clark.  He  heard  of  the 
Indian  councils,  of  the  preparation  for  the  march, 
but  he  did  not  hear  what  destination  was  in  the 
mind  of  the  British  commander.  Clark  thought 
in  all  probability  it  was  his  intention  to  come 
down  the  Mississippi  rather  than  the  Wabash, 
which  he  should  have  done.     It  was  a  rational 


Clark  Makes  Ready  to  March         227 

supposition  and  was  the  proper  military  move- 
ment. Therein  Clark  showed  himself  a  better 
officer  than  Hamilton. 

Clark  was  talking  to  one  of  his  officers.  "De- 
troit would  not  be  hard  to  capture,  for  it  is  not 
much  larger  than  this  place.  It  is  over  six  hun- 
dred miles  from  here,  but  we  have  friendly  tribes 
most  of  the  way,  and  can  make  friends  of  more 
as  we  go  along.  If  Hamilton  does  not  come  my 
way  soon,  I  may  go  after  him.  I  shall  wait 
awhile  and  see  if  he  comes  down  the  Mississippi 
or  overland.  If  he  does  not  I  may  march  against 
him  myself,  especially  if  any  forces  from  below 
join  me." 

"The  question  of  the  possession  of  this  terri- 
tory cannot  be  settled  until  you  and  Hamilton 
fight  it  out,  or  someone  else  moves  on  Detroit." 

"I  have  reliable  news  that  he  is  preparing  a 
force  to  march  somewhere,  but  where  I  do  not 
know." 

"I  have  it  from  a  runner  from  the  eastern  tribes 
that  an  American  force  is  on  the  march  from  Fort 
Pitt  and  that  they  are  headed  north,"  said  the 
officer. 

"That  may  be  General  Mcintosh  moving  on 
Detroit,"  replied  the  Colonel,  shortly.  "In 
which  case  it  may  be  that  Hamilton  has  heard  of 


228  The  Trail  Blazers 

it  and  is  preparing  to  meet  him  on  his  way,  or  else 
to  get  the  Indians  to  harry  him  on  his  march." 

Clark  did  not  know  that  Mcintosh  had  re- 
turned to  Fort  Pitt,  that  Detroit  was  not  his 
destination,  and  that  Hamilton  had  not  even 
heard  of  his  movements.  No  word  from  the 
Maumee  section  came  after  the  British  com- 
mander had  reached  that  point.  The  Indians 
were  either  overawed  by  the  British  or  were 
made  friendly  to  their  cause.  In  vain  did  Clark 
send  out  his  spies.  When  they  got  where  news 
could  be  had  they  were  captured  or  else  returned 
without  information. 

Cold  weather  set  in,  the  rain  fell,  the  trails  be- 
came difficult,  the  Indian  spies  were  less  willing 
than  ever  to  traverse  the  forest,  Clark  had  no 
news  from  Helm  and  none  of  Hamilton. 

December  came  and  Clark  gave  up  any  expec- 
tation of  seeing  Hamilton's  boats  descending  the 
Mississippi.  "He  may  have  gone  no  further  than 
the  head  of  the  Maumee  River,  and  then  turned 
back,"  was  the  suggestion  made  to  him. 

"That  may  be  true,"  said  the  Colonel,  "but  it 
is  good  military  prudence  to  suppose  that  he  did 
not  turn  back.  He  may  be  somewhere  in  this 
wilderness  of  snow  and  rain  and  ice.  I  wish  I 
knew  where  he  was." 

It  was  Clark's  purpose  to  withdraw  the  garri- 


Clark  Makes  Ready  to  March         229 

son  at  Cahokia  and  let  the  British  have  that  place 
in  case  it  was  attacked.  He  desired,  however,  to 
find  out  what  the  people  would  do  in  case  the 
British  captured  them  and  demanded  another 
change  of  their  allegiance. 

"I  cannot  blame  them  much,  for  they  will  very 
easily  be  overpowered,  but  I  do  not  want  them 
to  take  up  arms  against  us,"  was  his  comment. 

In  spite  of  the  weather  he  set  out  for  Cahokia 
with  a  few  men  as  a  guard.  In  the  afternoon  he 
reached  Prairie  du  Rocher  about  twelve  miles 
above  Kaskaskia,  where  he  had  to  spend  the 
night. 

The  villagers  proposed  a  dance  in  honor  of  his 
arrival.  The  Colonel  forebore  to  tell  them  of 
his  fears,  and  allowed  the  fun  loving  French  to 
light  the  big  hall  and  bring  out  the  music  and 
come  with  their  best  finery  to  celebrate  his  ap- 
pearance in  their  midst.  The  dance  began  soon 
after  dark  and  was  proceeding  very  happily  when 
a  messenger  from  Kaskaskia  burst  into  the  room 
and  called  for  the  Colonel. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  demanded  Clark. 

"A  large  force  of  British  and  Indians  are 
camped  just  outside  of  Kaskaskia  and  threaten 
the  town.  It  may  be  Hamilton.  Our  men  esti- 
mate there  are  eight  hundred  of  them.     It  is  said 


230  The  Trail  Blazers 

they  intend  to  attack  the  fort  tonight,  before  you 
can  return,"  was  the  astounding  reply. 

The  villagers  heard  the  messenger,  and  the  ut- 
most confusion  reigned.  They  were  now  more 
afraid  of  the  British  than  ever  they  were  afraid 
of  the  Long  Knives.  Every  eye  was  turned  on 
Clark  as  if  he  alone  could  be  the  means  of  their 
salvation. 

It  required  but  a  moment  for  the  Colonel  to 
decide  to  return  at  once  to  Kaskaskia,  and  get 
through  the  lines  of  the  enemy  into  his  own  fort. 
But  his  face  and  speech  showed  no  alarm  of  any 
kind. 

Turning  to  one  of  the  officers  who  had  accom- 
panied him  he  quietly  said,  "Get  all  the  horses 
ready  for  our  party  to  leave  at  once."  Then 
turning  to  the  crowd  he  said  loudly,  "It  can 
hardly  be  true  that  the  British  are  at  Kaskaskia. 
Come  let  us  continue  our  dance." 

The  music  began  again,  and  to  conceal  his  con- 
cern and  to  inspire  the  people  with  courage,  Clark 
led  the  village  belle  out  on  the  floor  and  danced 
with  her  and  the  others  until  the  horses  were  an- 
nounced as  ready  for  departure. 

It  was  after  midnight,  dark  and  cold.  Only 
the  snow  on  the  ground  gave  back  the  reflection 
of  the  stars  and  showed  the  almost  covered  trail 
along  the  river  side.     The  party  pushed  their 


Clark  Makes  Beady  to  March         231 

horses  to  their  utmost  strength,  and  about  two 
o'clock  came  within  a  half  mile  of  the  town. 
Everything  was  quiet  and  no  lights  were  show- 
ing. 

Before  leaving  Prairie  du  Rocher  Clark  had 
provided  his  men  with  blankets  to  wrap  up  in 
and  mingle  with  the  besiegers  in  case  they  should 
find  the  city  attacked.  By  this  means  he  hoped 
to  make  his  way  through  their  ranks  and  into 
the  fort.  But  the  coverings  were  not  necessary 
for  there  was  no  evidence  anywhere  of  any  hos- 
tile party. 

It  took  but  a  short  time  for  the  party  to  reach 
the  fort.  The  guard  accosted  them  and  finding 
out  who  they  were  admitted  them  quickly  to  the 
warmth  of  the  interior. 

Still  Clark  did  not  know  whether  the  rumor 
was  true  or  false.  The  British  might  be  in  the 
woods  outside  the  town  and  might  not. 

"I  wonder  if  they  are  waiting  for  me  to  aban- 
don this  place  and  seek  my  safety  across  the  river 
among  my  friends,  the  Spanish  ?"  said  he  to  him- 
self, with  a  smile.  "If  they  are  they  will  wait 
a  long  time,  for  I  never  run,  at  least  not  until  I 
see  my  enemy's  face." 

Now  the  good  Father  Gibault  was  in  the  fort, 
and  late  as  was  the  hour,  sought  Clark  with  the 
greatest  consternation.     He  was  of  all  those  in 


232  The  Trail  Blazers 

Kaskaskia  the  most  afraid  of  Hamilton.  He 
knew  that  it  was  through  his  intercession  that 
Vincennes  had  so  easily  come  over  to  the  Ameri- 
cans and  feared  that  Hamilton  knew  it  also. 
Being  of  a  priestly  nature  and  timid  he  dreaded 
the  consequences  should  he  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  soldiers  or  allies  of  the  officer  whom  he 
had  heard  recently  paid  for  the  scalps  of  white 
people  regardless  of  whether  they  were  French 
or  Americans. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  Hamilton  did  treasure  an 
unrelenting  hatred  of  the  priest.  He  said  of 
him,  "This  wretch  absolved  the  French  inhabi- 
tants from  their  allegiance  to  the  king  of  Great 
Britain.  The  inhabitants  themselves  have  not 
a  single  virtue,  but  the  most  vicious  among  them 
is  that  fellow  Gibault." 

In  this  opinion  no  one  followed  the  British 
commander.  Now  that  the  redcoats  were  sup- 
posed to  be  outside  the  gates  of  his  town,  and  in 
numbers  large  enough  to  overcome  the  small  gar- 
rison, Gibault  was  in  fear  of  his  life,  though  he 
tried  to  conceal  the  fact  from  his  commander. 

Clark,  seeing  his  consternation,  inquired  the 
cause. 

"I  am  no  soldier,  but  the  Lieutenant-Governor 
of  Detroit  knows  that  I  am  your  friend.  His 
soldiers  and  Indians  are  outside  the  gates,  and 


Clark  Makes  Beady  to  March         23g 

may  attack  us  at  any  time.  If  I  am  captured 
these  people  will  be  without  a  priest  and  they 
need  me." 

The  Colonel  saw  the  anxiety  that  beset  the 
good  Father,  and  to  relieve  him  pretended  he 
wished  him  to  go  to  the  Spanish  side  of  the  river 
with  important  papers.  In  fact  he  did  wish  the 
Spaniards  to  know  of  his  supposed  peril,  and 
while  he  had  not  thought  of  using  the  priest  as 
his  messenger,  it  occurred  to  him  that  Gibault 
might  do  as  well  as  anyone. 

Therefore  hastily  writing  a  note  to  Don  Leyba 
explaining  the  situation,  he  gave  it  to  the  priest 
with  instructions  to  proceed  promptly  to  the 
other  side  of  the  river  and  despatch  it  to  St. 
Louis  by  any  messenger  he  could  find. 

The  priest  welcomed  the  opportunity.  Be- 
fore day,  with  one  servant  to  attend  him,  he 
slipped  out  of  the  village  and  set  out  in  a  boat 
down  the  Kaskaskia.  When  he  reached  the  Mis- 
sissippi he  found  the  current  full  of  floating  ice 
and  his  own  boat  in  great  danger  of  being 
swamped.  Steering  to  a  small  island  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Kaskaskia,  the  priest  and  his  serv- 
ant landed,  built  a  camp,  and  wrapping  them- 
selves up  in  their  blankets,  proceeded  to  make  the 
best  of  a  bad  situation. 

In  the  meantime  Clark  determined  to  take 


234  The  Trail  Blazers 

every  precaution  against  the  possibility  of  an 
enemy  bursting  from  their  hiding  places  in  the 
woods  and  descending  upon  his  fort.  He  called 
the  people  of  Kaskaskia  together  in  order  to  find 
out  their  purposes.  They  were  timid  enough 
about  coming  and  their  appearance  showed  any- 
thing but  bravery. 

' 'If  you  will  defend  this  fort  and  act  the  part 
of  good  soldiers,  we  will  all  go  out  at  once  and 
find  the  British  and  Indians  and  attack  them," 
said  he.  But  to  this  the  French  promptly  ob- 
jected. 

"Then  in  case  we  are  attacked  here  will  you 
stand  by  me  and  your  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
American  flag?" 

To  this  they  gave  a  half-hearted  reply,  which 
convinced  the  Colonel  that  the  French  inhabi- 
tants were  not  very  warlike  in  their  disposition, 
and  preferred  peace  on  any  terms. 

At  last  several  of  the  boldest  ones  spoke  up. 
"We  think  the  British  are  too  numerous  for  us  to 
resist  and  will  certainly  capture  the  fort  if  they 
try.  We  admire  you  and  we  love  you,  and  for 
that  reason  we  would  like  for  you  to  withdraw 
from  our  village  and  take  your  men  over  to  the 
Spanish  side  of  the  Mississippi  to  avoid  being 
taken  prisoners  by  Hamilton." 

Clark  was  at  first  amused  and  then  he  was  in 


Clark  Makes  Beady  to  March         235 

a  rage.  "Do  you  take  me  for  a  coward  and  a 
traitor?  I  have  never  yet  turned  my  back  upon 
an  enemy  and  I  shall  not  begin  now.  You  are 
not  faithful  to  your  pledges  and  are  not  deserv- 
ing of  my  confidence.  Your  pretended  love  for 
me  should  be  shown  in  more  bravery  and  less 
caution.  Now  you  may  go,  for  I  can  place  but 
little  dependence  on  you." 

The  inhabitants  protested  that  they  were 
Clark's  friends,  and  to  show  their  real  interest 
proposed  to  bring  all  their  provisions  and  store 
them  in  the  fort  in  case  of  a  siege. 

"I  shall  have  all  the  provisions  and  I  shall  also 
burn  your  town  to  prevent  anything  falling  into 
the  hands  of  my  enemy.  Those  in  the  fort  can 
withstand  a  siege  of  six  months,"  was  the  reply. 

Clark  had  no  such  intention,  of  course,  but  he 
had  always  found  threatening  words  of  much 
avail  with  these  people. 

As  soon  as  they  departed,  Clark  had  his 
men  set  fire  to  some  out  houses  containing  nothing 
of  value.  This  convinced  the  inhabitants  of  his 
resolve  to  fight  to  the  last.  Never  was  a  people 
in  more  distress.  Their  town  was  being  set  on 
fire  by  those  whose  friendship  they  sought,  and 
at  the  same  time  surrounded  by  savages  from 
whom  they  could  expect  but  little  mercy. 

On  account  of  the  snow  and  rain,  the  fire  did 


236  The  Trail  Blazers 

not  spread  and  no  damage  was  done.  But  the 
people  found  out  that  Clark  was  a  man  of  his 
word  and  came  running  to  the  fort  with  food  and 
supplies  enough  to  last  for  months. 

Fortunately  the  weather  was  clear,  or  Father 
Gibault  would  have  suffered  in  his  camp  on  the 
island.  Finding  a  few  dry  sticks  his  servant  at 
last  produced  a  fire  by  which  the  two  warmed 
themselves  and  heated  food.  Three  days  they 
stayed  in  their  camp  while  the  ice  floated  by  and 
no  prospects  came  of  crossing  the  great  stream  in 
the  frail  bark  in  which  they  had  set  out. 

The  priest  resolved  to  turn  back  and  face  the 
possibility  of  capture.  In  the  middle  of  the 
third  day  he  and  his  man  got  in  the  boat  and 
rowed  to  the  shore  and  landed,  resolved  to  walk 
home  rather  than  row  against  the  heavy  current 
of  the  Kaskaskia.  Hardly  had  they  proceeded 
a  mile  before  they  saw  footprints  in  the  snow  in 
such  numbers  that  they  were  alarmed  for  their 
own  safety. 

The  two  halted  and  listened  attentively. 
Their  ears  caught  the  distant  crunch  of  snow  and 
the  breaking  of  branches.  They  could  not  tell 
whether  the  oncomers  were  friends  or  foes,  but 
decided  to  take  no  chances.  Quickly  they  lay 
down  behind  a  fallen  log  completely  concealed 
from  the  trail  they  were  following.     In  a  few 


Clark  Makes  Beady  to  March         237 

minutes  a  file  of  Indians  appeared  marching  one 
behind  the  other.  The  priest  counted  twenty, 
though  his  timid  heart  beat  so  loudly  he  was 
afraid  he  would  be  discovered. 

Then  in  a  few  minutes  a  file  of  British  soldiers 
appeared  marching  as  did  the  Indians,  their  guns 
trailing.  The  priest  again  counted  twenty. 
"That  makes  forty  in  all,"  said  he  to  himself.  "I 
wonder  if  there  are  any  others?" 

Slowly  the  Indians  and  British  disappeared  in 
the  distance,  going  away  from  the  village.  The 
priest  was  almost  overcome  by  cold  and  fear,  but 
he  kept  still  until  the  enemy  were  well  out  of 
sight.  Then  he  and  his  servant  arose  and  made 
all  haste  to  the  village. 

Clark  was  immediately  informed  of  the  adven- 
ture of  Father  Gibault  and  exclaimed,  "It  is  as  I 
really  supposed.  Merely  a  scouting  party  sent 
out  by  Hamilton  to  find  out  my  strength." 

To  verify  this,  the  Colonel  sent  spies  on  the 
trail  of  the  departing  men  as  well  as  to  scour  the 
woods  in  all  directions.  The  spies  found  only  a 
deserted  camp  and  signs  of  a  few  men,  about  the 
number  reported  by  the  priest. 

There  had  been  no  army  encamped  against 
Kaskaskia  and  the  alarm  was  all  for  nothing. 
But  Clark  suspected  strongly  that  the  returning 
force  carried  news  to  Hamilton  wherever  he  was 


238  The  Trail  Blazers 

that  the  villages  along  the  Mississippi  were 
poorly  defended. 

Days  passed  in  much  perplexity.  Clark  still 
did  not  know  of  the  whereabouts  of  Hamilton, 
and  was  much  worried.  As  he  sat  in  his  room 
one  afternoon  a  guard  came  in  and  said  to  him. 
"There  is  an  Indian  here  who  says  his  name  is 
Big  Gate,  and  that  he  is  a  Piankeshaw  from  Vin- 
cennes  and  knows  Captain  Helm.  He  is  asking 
for  the  Big  Chief  of  the  Long  Knives." 

"Tell  him  to  come  in  by  all  means.  Perhaps 
he  will  bring  me  some  news." 

There  entered  the  solemn  and  dignified  form 
of  the  Indian  chief,  little  betraying  the  fact  that 
he  had  walked  day  and  night  to  reach  his  desti- 
nation and  more  than  once  had  to  exert  all  his 
woodcraft  to  escape  the  scouting  parties  that 
Hamilton  had  in  the  field. 

The  chief  sat  down  on  a  chair  and  slowly  laid 
aside  his  blanket  and  his  robe  of  fur.  In  his 
broken  English  he  asked,  "You  the  Big  Chief?" 

"Yes,  they  call  me  that,"  replied  Clark. 

"Then  I  have  speaking  paper  for  you  from 
my  brother  Helm.  He  prisoner,  and  send  me 
see  you." 

The  chief  arose  and  went  to  the  door  and  called 
the  braves  who  had  come  with  him.  One  of  them 
gave  him  a  paper,  which  the  Big  Gate  with  much 


Clark  Makes  Ready  to  March        239 

ceremony  handed  to  the  Colonel.  Then  the  In- 
dians sat  down  to  await  the  reading  of  the  paper 
which  Clark  proceeded  to  do  at  once. 

We  know  its  contents.  It  was  a  full  explana- 
tion of  all  the  details  of  the  situation  at  Vin- 
cennes  and  completely  enlightened  the  Colonel 
as  to  all  that  had  happened  to  Helm  and  his 
garrison. 

After  reading  the  message,  Clark  sat  a  long 
time  lost  in  thought.  At  length  he  exclaimed, 
"I  would  hind  myself  for  seven  years  as  a  slave 
could  I  but  have  five  hundred  troops." 

The  Big  Gate  waited  to  make  his  speech. 
With  much  hesitation  and  effort,  he  told  the 
Colonel  that  he  was  a  friend  of  the  Long  Knives 
as  long  as  the  winds  blew  and  the  rivers  ran ;  that 
Helm  was  his  brother  and  could  sleep  in  his  tent 
forever;  that  he  would  take  no  more  scalps  from 
the  heads  of  his  friends  but  would  dye  all  the 
streams  red  with  the  blood  of  the  British;  and 
finally  that  he  wanted  to  take  the  Big  Chief  by 
the  hand  and  dance  with  him  around  the  council 
fires  of  his  nation. 

Clark  replied  in  the  same  kind,  knowing  well 
what  manner  of  speech  was  suited  to  the  Indian 
taste.  He  told  the  Piankeshaw  what  the  letter 
spoke  to  him,  also  how  the  British  had  deceived 
the  Indians,  and  that  the  Long  Knives  were  the 


240  The  Trail  Blazers 

brothers  of  the  red  men,  and  that  their  Father 
Washington  was  greater  and  stronger  than 
their  old  Father  across  the  waters.  Then  the 
Big  Gate  and  his  comrades  shook  the  Colonel 
by  the  hand  and  left  the  room. 

The  letter  from  Helm  did  not  decrease  the 
anxiety  of  the  Colonel.  It  really  increased  it, 
for  now  he  knew  that  Hamilton  was  at  Vin- 
cennes  with  a  large  force  and  that  as  soon  as  the 
weather  permitted  he  would  move  against  Kas- 
kaskia  with  a  larger  body  of  men  than  Clark  him- 
self could  summon. 

The  very  next  day  after  the  appearance  of  the 
Big  Gate  came  Francis  Vigo  to  Kaskaskia.  It 
seems  that  Vigo  had  gone  to  Vincennes  early  in 
December  on  his  own  private  business  and  was 
there  when  the  fort  was  captured.  Hamilton 
had  detained  him,  but  being  a  Spanish  subject 
he  jvas  well  treated,  being  required  to  report  to 
headquarters  once  a  day  and  under  no  circum- 
stances to  speak  to  Captain  Helm.  Helm,  of 
course,  knew  of  his  presence,  but  belonging  to 
a  neutral  nation  the  Spaniard  could  not  offer  any 
assistance  to  anyone. 

Vigo  grew  weary  of  his  confinement,  and  not 
being  a  prisoner  of  war  and  under  no  parole,  he 
found  means  of  making  his  escape.  Instead  of 
going  to  St.  Louis  he  came  to  Kaskaskia  to  re- 


Clark  Makes  Ready  to  March         241 

port  to  his  friend  Clark  all  he  knew  about  affairs 
at  Vincennes. 

His  words  confirmed  all  that  Helm  had  written 
and  all  that  the  Indians  themselves  had  subse- 
quently told.  No  attack  was  to  be  made  on 
Kaskaskia  until  spring.  Indian  war  parties  were 
to  be  sent  out  to  all  parts  of  the  country,  espe- 
cially Kentucky.  Belts,  presents  and  speeches 
were  sent  to  the  tribes  along  the  Ohio  calling  for 
a  grand  council  to  make  plans  for  cutting  off 
Clark  and  his  men.  The  Shawanese  were  shortly 
to  go  on  the  warpath,  and  four  hundred  Indian 
allies  were  still  around  Vincennes.  Some  of 
which  was  correct  and  some  was  not,  but  all  of 
which  Vigo  believed  to  be  true. 

Clark  and  his  friend  sat  long  in  conference  the 
day  of  his  arrival.  At  the  end  of  it,  Clark  said, 
"There  is  no  alternative.  I  must  attack  Hamil- 
ton in  Vincennes  or  he  will  attack  me  in  Kaskas- 
kia. The  one  who  attacks  first  will  have  the 
advantage." 

"I  wish  you  God  speed,  my  friend,"  said  the 
Spaniard.  "I  know  not  why  I  prefer  you  to  the 
British  commander,  but  I  do.  My  sympathies 
are  entirely  with  the  Americans."  And  with 
these  words  Francis  Vigo  left  the  Colonel  and 
set  out  on  his  way  to  St.  Louis. 

Clark  had  made  up  his  mind.     In  his  usual 


242  The  Trail  Blazers 

way  he  acted  with  promptness  and  vigor.  Call- 
ing Tim  to  his  room,  he  said,  "My  boy,  you  know 
how  to  ride  a  horse.  Get  one  from  the  corral, 
mount  it  and  ride  to  Cahokia  and  tell  the  captain 
there  to  bring  his  men  here.  I  am  going  to 
march  against  Vincennes." 

"Vincennes!"  exclaimed  the  lad.  "Then  we 
shall  see  some  real  war  and  I  am  going  along.  I 
will  have  word  at  Cahokia  quicker  than  anyone 
else  can  do  it." 

The  boy  was  off  alone  on  a  fleet  horse. 

At  Prairie  du  Rocher  he  called  for  the  com- 
mander and  gave  him  the  word  of  his  superior 
officer.  "When  is  he  going?"  was  the  natural 
question. 

"He  did  not  say.  But  he  needs  all  the  men  he 
can  get,"  was  the  reply. 

When  Tim  reached  Cahokia  he  rode  straight 
to  the  fort  and  called  for  Captain  McCarty  who 
was  in  charge.  The  Captain  was  a  big  tall  Irish- 
man, bluff  and  hearty.  "Well,  Tim,  my  boy, 
what  brings  you  here  in  such  a  hurry?  Nothing 
wrong,  I  hope." 

"Everything  is  all  right,  and  we  are  off  for 
Vincennes.  The  Colonel  says  bring  your  men 
to  Kaskaskia,  for  he  wants  to  move." 

"What?    Vincennes?    That's  sure  good  news. 


Clark  Makes  Beady  to  March         243 

Now  my  Long  Knives  will  have  something  to 
shoot  at  besides  rabbits." 

Tim  stayed  over  the  day,  but  was  too  full  of 
excitement  to  remain  long  away  from  his  Colonel. 
As  soon  as  his  horse  was  rested,  he  started  back 
to  Kaskaskia,  where  he  arrived  and  reported  to 
Clark  the  full  performance  of  his  mission. 

The  determination  of  Clark  to  attack  Ham- 
ilton was  quickly  known  throughout  all  the 
Illinois  towns.  Strange  to  say,  but  fortunately, 
no  part  of  his  intention  was  allowed  to  reach  the 
British,  but  was  kept  closely  guarded  by  those 
who  knew  of  it.  The  whole  country  took  fire  at 
the  news.  Every  order  of  the  Colonel  was  exe- 
cuted with  cheerfulness  by  every  kind  of  inhabi- 
tant. Many  of  those  who  had  appeared  alarmed 
by  the  supposed  presence  of  the  British,  anxious 
to  restore  their  good  name,  enlisted  for  the  enter- 
prise. The  women  of  the  village  cheered  the 
men,  and  insisted  upon  giving  a  dance  every  night 
in  order  to  celebrate  the  approaching  departure 
of  the  troops. 

It  was  now  the  first  day  of  February,  in  the 
year  1779.  In  order  to  provide  stores  for  his 
men,  Colonel  Clark  ordered  a  boat  to  be  made 
ready  to  convey  provisions,  quantities  of  ammu- 
nition, and  six  small  cannon,  around  by  water  to 
the  neighborhood  of  Vincennes  to  meet  his  force 


244 


The  Trail  Blazers 


going  overland.  When  the  boat  was  ready  and 
loaded,  Clark  named  it  The  Willing,  and  put 
forty-six  men  on  board  under  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant John  Rogers.  She  was  the  first  Ameri- 
can gun-boat  set  afloat  upon  the  Mississippi.  It 
was  the  order  to  Lieutenant  Rogers  to  make  his 
way  down  the  Mississippi,  up  the  Ohio  and  the 
Wabash  and  get  as  close  to  Vincennes  as  pos- 
sible. 

The  troops  began  to  assemble.  Captain  Me- 
Carty  marched  into  town  with  his  company  from 
Cahokia,  singing  Irish  songs.  As  they  reached 
the  open  place  in  front  of  the  fort  they  broke  into 
a  circle  and  executed  a  war  dance  in  imitation  of 
the  Indians. 

The  Kaskaskians  formed  a  company  of  volun- 
teers under  Captain  Charleville,  and  insisted 
upon  enlisting  with  the  Long  Knives. 

The  Long  Knives  were  in  great  good  humor. 
For  over  six  months  they  had  been  idle  and  lone- 
some, with  nothing  to  do  to  their  liking.  There 
had  been  no  British  to  fight,  no  Indians  to  punish, 
and  but  little  hunting  in  the  woods.  Clark  had 
not  allowed  them  to  waste  powder  in  private 
shooting,  but  he  was  sure  that  their  unerring 
marksmanship  was  as  keen  as  ever. 

The  day  before  the  departure  he  relented  some- 
what and  in  order  to  test  the  rifles  and  the  aim 


Clark  Makes  Ready  to  March         245 

of  his  men  instituted  a  target  practice  for  their 
benefit.  Emptying  one  of  the  houses  of  the  in- 
habitants he  cut  holes  in  the  door  not  much  larger 
than  a  gun  barrel.  These  he  called  port  holes 
of  a  fort.  Directing  his  men  to  fire  through  them 
at  a  supposed  enemy  behind,  he  discovered  that 
practically  every  shot  went  through.  Birds  fly- 
ing overhead  were  brought  down,  spots  on  the 
trees  were  pierced,  and  in  fact  it  appeared  that 
no  target  was  too  difficult  for  them  to  reach. 

All  this  the  Big  Gate,  who  still  lingered  in  the 
village,  watched  with  fascinated  gaze.  "Me  no 
shoot  rifle,  but  me  can  throw  tomahawk,"  he  ex- 
claimed. Then  while  the  Long  Knives  looked 
on,  the  big  savage  took  his  tomahawk  from  his 
belt  and  with  a  great  whoop  sent  it  flying  fifty 
feet  through  the  air.  Its  blade  sank  deep  into 
the  soft  wood  of  a  tree.  Not  to  be  outdone  by 
his  chief  one  of  the  followers  of  the  Indian  drew 
his  scalping  knife  whose  handle  was  heavily 
loaded,  and  rising  from  the  ground  hurled  it 
through  the  air,  giving  it  the  proper  motion  as  it 
left  his  hand.  The  blade  turned  in  the  air  and 
its  point  struck  deep  in  the  door  of  the  house  at 
which  the  Long  Knives  had  been  firing. 

At  night  the  inevitable  banquet  and  dance  for 
the  merry-hearted  French  people,  in  the  same 
hall  where  they  had  been  dancing  on  the  fourth 


246  The  Trail  Blazers 

of  July  when  Clark  first  appeared.  There  was 
music  and  laughter  and  good  cheer.  "Our  Col- 
onel will  take  Vincennes  as  he  took  Kaskaskia. 
May  he  take  all  the  territory  from  the  British  as 
he  has  taken  the  Illinois  country!"  was  the  favor- 
ite toast. 

Clark  smiled  and  replied,  "I  do  not  know  how 
large  a  force  the  British  have,  but  I  feel  certain 
that  before  many  days  Vincennes  will  be  ours. 
And  when  this  war  comes  to  a  close  and  the  red- 
coats are  gone  all  this  territory  shall  be  a  part  of 
the  territory  belonging  to  the  Colonies." 

The  next  day  the  men  were  drawn  up  in  line 
and  made  ready  for  their  going.  There  were 
about  two  hundred  of  them,  counting  the  French 
who  had  enlisted.  They  were  in  the  pink  of 
condition,  each  man  carrying  his  rifle  on  his 
shoulder  and  his  pack  on  his  back.  The  day  was 
bright  and  while  the  snow  was  still  on  the  ground, 
the  sun  was  warm  and  the  sky  blue,  and  the  pros- 
pects cheerful.  The  Big  Gate  and  his  followers 
and  a  few  other  Indians  were  going  with  the  men. 
The  chiefs  of  other  tribes  desired  to  join  Clark, 
but  he  discouraged  their  going  with  him,  saying 
he  needed  them  to  stay  behind  and  guard  the 
village. 

Father  Gibault  spoke  to  the  men  a  priestly 
farewell,  and  gave  absolution  to  all  the  company, 


Clark  Makes  Ready  to  March         247 

whether  they  were  of  his  faith  or  not.  The  entire 
population  of  the  village  gathered  to  see  the 
troops  depart.  Clark  waved  his  sword  and 
mounting  his  horse  put  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
column.  Tim  seized  his  drum  and  began  to  beat 
a  march.  The  men  wheeled  and  turned  and 
moved  out  of  the  square  and  down  the  street  on 
their  way  to  Vincennes. 


CHAPTER  X 

OVER  THE  DROWNED  LANDS  TO  VICTORY 

ON  the  fifth  day  of  February,  1779,  Colonel 
Clark  and  his  two  hundred  men  set  out  on 
their  way  to  Vincennes.  They  had  to  go  two 
hundred  miles,  through  woods  and  across  prairies, 
over  land  intersected  with  many  streams.  Ordi- 
narily it  was  a  beautiful  country,  but  in  the  dead 
of  winter,  and  in  the  rainy  season,  the  perils  of 
such  a  journey  would  have  daunted  any  hearts 
less  brave  than  those  of  the  Long  Knives. 

Clark  rode  a  horse  which  had  been  brought 
from  the  South,  the  finest  animal  of  the  kind  in 
all  the  country.  Hardly  had  the  little  army 
crossed  the  Kaskaskia  when  it  began  to  rain,  sad 
prophecy  of  many  rainy  days  to  come.  After 
marching  a  few  miles  the  party  made  camp  for 
the  night,  and  on  account  of  the  rain  and  mud 
had  to  stay  in  that  place  the  next  day.  Fortu- 
nately the  weather  was  not  cold  and  the  rain 
did  not  freeze  as  it  fell. 

The  route  the  army  was  following  was  known 
as  the  Vincennes  trail.     It  was  a  portion  of  the 

248 


Over  the  Drowned  Lands  249 

trail  leading  on  to  Wea  and  thence  to  Detroit, 
traveled  by  the  French  and  Indians  from  the 
Mississippi  to  the  lakes,  and  even  from  Louisiana 
to  Canada.  It  bore  to  the  northeast,  inclining 
northward  to  avoid  the  deep  water  in  some  of  the 
rivers  that  had  to  be  crossed. 

After  a  day's  march  the  real  difficulties  of  the 
trail  began  to  appear.  The  rain  was  incessant 
and  the  men  were  already  soaked  to  their  skins. 
On  the  level  plains  through  which  they  had  to 
pass  the  water  stood  where  it  fell,  and  the  troops 
took  up  their  march  through  the  mud  and  slush 
and  sometimes  through  water  that  covered  their 
shoes. 

They  were  hardy  backwoodsmen  and  used  to 
discomfort.  They  were  a  picked  lot,  strong, 
young,  vigorous.  So  they  sang  as  they  went  and 
made  jokes  and  cheered  one  another  on  the  way. 

Tim  had  no  chance  to  beat  his  drum,  nor  did 
the  men  need  it.  It  was  all  the  lad  could  do  to 
keep  his  drum  dry,  and  to  keep  up  with  the  men. 
Every  now  and  then  one  of  the  soldiers  would 
carry  the  drum  for  awhile,  and  when  a  particu- 
larly hard  place  came  in  the  trail  they  would 
laughingly  catch  the  boy  and  pitch  him  over, 
somewhat  to  Tim's  indignation  and  always  to  the 
amusement  and  delight  of  the  soldiers.  The  Big 
Gate  and  his  few  followers  trudged  along  silently 


250  The  Trail  Blazers 

regardless  of  weather,  for  all  the  world  as  if  they 
would  as  soon  be  in  the  rain  as  to  stand  in  the 
sun. 

After  five  days'  marching  they  came  to  the 
fork  of  a  river  whose  waters  had  risen  so  high 
the  men  could  not  ford  the  stream.  Quickly  they 
cut  down  trees  and  made  a  bridge  to  pass  over  on, 
the  horses,  what  few  there  were  to  carry  the 
equipment  and  provisions,  wading  or  swimming 
across. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  there  were  no  tents, 
and  the  rain  poured  incessantly,  the  men  man- 
aged somehow  to  find  enough  dry  wood  to  start 
fires  at  night,  and  by  piling  up  brush  to  make 
shelter  for  themselves,  wrapping  up  in  their 
blankets,  and  not  complaining,  the  nights  were 
passed  in  good  humor  in  spite  of  the  discomfort. 

Clark  did  not  restrain  his  men  from  shooting. 
Game  was  plentiful  and  the  men  were  allowed 
to  range  at  will  in  search  of  what  they  could  find. 
In  order  to  keep  the  men  in  spirits  he  allowed 
each  company  in  turn  to  shoot  game  and  load  it 
on  the  horses  and  give  a  feast  at  night  when  the 
party  camped.  In  this  way  there  was  some 
rivalry  and  much  jesting  about  the  quantity  and 
quality  of  the  food. 

The  company  that  was  to  give  the  feast  invited 
the  others.    After  the  feast  was  over  the  party 


Over  the  Drowned  Lands  251 

sang,  and  if  there  was  any  room  in  the  camp  or 
any  ground  for  the  purpose,  the  men  danced 
Indian  fashion  and  made  what  sport  they  could 
out  of  the  severe  conditions  in  which  they  found 
themselves. 

After  eight  days  they  came  to  the  drowned 
lands  of  the  Little  Wabash.  Here  two  streams 
were  before  them  and  though  ordinarily  they 
were  three  miles  apart,  they  now  made  but  one 
stream.  Both  rivers  had  risen  and  their  waters 
had  met.  It  was  five  miles  across  and  the  water 
was  three  feet  deep  in  the  shallowest  part. 

The  Colonel  looked  it  over.  "This  is  enough 
to  stop  any  set  of  men  except  the  sort  I  have  with 
me.  If  I  turn  back  I  am  lost  and  the  cause  is 
lost.    There  is  nothing  to  do  now  but  to  go  on." 

About  the  same  time,  Hamilton,  comfortable 
in  his  quarters  and  seeing  the  incessant  rain,  had 
remarked,  "Friend  or  enemy  will  need  wings  to 
reach  Vincennes  such  weather  as  this." 

Clark  ordered  the  men  to  build  a  boat.  "That 
is  the  best  way  to  get  us  over,"  he  remarked,  as 
if  going  across  was  a  matter  of  course.  It  took  a 
whole  day  to  build  the  boat,  the  men  working 
cheerfully.  Manning  it  with  a  few  of  his  closest 
friends,  he  privately  told  them  to  explore  the 
stream,  find  a  dry  place  on  the  other  side,  and 
"to  bring  back  good  news  under  any  conditions." 


252  The  Trail  Blazers 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  boat 
was  set  afloat  on  the  drowned  lands.  The  men 
were  gone  until  dark  when  they  returned  with 
word  that  there  was  camping  place  of  a  half  acre 
on  the  other  side,  and  that  the  passage  across  was 
not  even  difficult,  let  alone  impossible.  There- 
fore two  days  later,  the  men  having  rested  well, 
the  whole  party  was  ferried  across  the  deeper 
part  of  the  two  streams,  the  horses  swimming 
as  before.  In  the  shallower  part  of  the  streams 
the  men  waded  with  the  same  merriment  and 
courage  they  had  carried  all  along. 

The  march  had  now  been  twelve  days  long,  and 
nearly  all  of  them  were  rainy.  Small  streams 
were  forded,  swampy  lands  slushed  through, 
mud  and  mire  overcome,  and  now  the  disaster 
was  upon  them  of  a  shortage  of  provisions.  Game 
no  longer  appeared,  and  two  hundred  lusty  men, 
after  a  day's  march  can  get  very  hungry.  For- 
tunately they  had  covered  most  of  the  way  to 
their  goal. 

The  commissary  of  the  little  army  was  sent  on 
ahead  with  three  men  to  cross  a  river  called  the 
Embarrass,  and  told  to  proceed  to  a  point  on  the 
Wabash  opposite  Vincennes  where  the  Big  Gate 
said  there  was  a  plantation — there  to  steal  some 
boats  or  canoes  to  ferry  the  men  across  the  river 
when  they  should  reach  it.    The  commissary  went 


Over  the  Drowned  Lands  253 

on  ahead  but  soon  came  back  and  reported,  "The 
Embarrass  is  a  raging  torrent  and  cannot  be 
crossed." 

Clark's  party  reached  the  banks  of  the  Em- 
barrass and  were  only  nine  miles  from  Vincennes, 
but  Clark  saw  that  every  foot  of  the  way  was 
covered  with  deep  water.  So  much  was  the 
stream  swollen  that  it  was  impossible  to  discover 
the  main  current.  The  Wabash,  a  still  deeper 
and  wilder  stream,  was  between  the  little  army 
and  its  destination. 

A  hungry,  tired,  soaked  and  mud  bespattered 
band  of  two  hundred  men,  who  in  twelve  days 
had  marched  a  hundred  and  ninety  miles  and 
more,  now  found  themselves  nine  miles  from  the 
object  of  their  journey,  with  food  exhausted,  no 
place  to  camp,  with  nothing  but  water  all  around 
them  and  an  enemy  supposed  to  consist  of  sev- 
eral hundred  men  comfortably  housed  and  fed, 
to  be  dislodged.    Was  ever  a  hope  more  forlorn? 

A  small  spot  of  muddy  ground  from  which  the 
water  had  receded  was  found  and  here  the 
men  sat  in  their  wet  clothes  all  night  waiting  for 
their  Colonel  to  tell  them  what  to  do.  All  hilarity 
had  gone  out  of  them.  There  was  no  wood  to 
make  a  fire,  Clark  had  forbidden  the  shooting  of 
their  rifles  for  fear  of  attracting  attention  of  un- 
friendly Indians  or  scouts,  what  little  food  they 


254  The  Trail  Blazers 

had  was  watersoaked.  Therefore  the  men  had 
lost  their  jest  and  their  spirit  of  fun.  They  were 
silent,  worn  out,  but  their  faces  were  as  grim  as 
ever,  and  not  a  murmur  did  the  Colonel  hear 
from  any  of  them. 

Nothing  had  been  heard  of  The  Willing.  That 
boat  would  have  been  a  blessing  if  it  had  only 
appeared,  but  it  was  also  having  trouble  with 
the  swollen  streams,  and  while  the  Long  Knives 
were  plowing  their  way  through  the  mud  and 
mire,  the  boat  with  their  supplies  was  battling 
with  the  currents  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Wabash, 

The  Embarrass  and  the  Wabash  had  to  be 
crossed.  Therefore  orders  were  given  for  the 
men  to  build  canoes  or  flat  boats  or  rafts,  or  any- 
thing that  would  take  them  over.  With  great 
labor  the  boats  were  finally  finished  and  the  men 
began  the  ferrying  across  the  current  of  the 
stream.  It  was  a  tedious  and  at  times  a  perilous 
undertaking.  A  few  men  would  get  into  the 
frail  crafts  and  find  their  way  over  the  river,  and 
two  of  them  would  bring  the  boat  back.  Then 
others  would  go  over.  It  was  a  hard  journey 
and  the  men  suffered  from  the  fatigue  of  it. 
More  than  once  a  boat  was  overturned  and  its 
occupants  thrown  into  the  rapid  current.  But 
they  were  all  strong  swimmers,  and  there  was 
never  any  danger  of  losing  any  of  them.     The 


The  men    plunged  into   the  water,    holding  their    guns    and 
powder  flasks  over  their  heads. 


Over  the  Drowned  Lands  255 

horses  could  not  be  carried  over,  and  the  current 
was  too  swift  for  them  to  swim.  Therefore  they 
were  left  in  care  of  a  guard  detached  for  that 
purpose. 

After  several  days  of  toil,  the  men  were  at  last 
on  the  same  side  of  the  Wabash  as  the  town  of 
Vincennes.  But  all  around  them  was  water,  and 
only  a  small  bit  of  ground  was  dry  enough  for 
the  men  to  rest  upon.  Huddled  together  as  they 
were,  unable  to  have  a  fire,  with  no  food,  the  men 
were  in  a  desperate  condition.  A  few  lay  down 
in  the  mud,  completely  exhausted  from  weariness 
and  lack  of  food,  and  declared  they  could  go  no 
further.    Clark  spoke  to  them: 

"We  will  rest  here  all  night,  and  do  the  best 
we  can,  and  move  on  in  the  morning.  Keep  up 
your  courage,  men.  Vincennes  is  only  a  few  miles 
off,  there  is  no  river  to  cross  now,  and  once  there 
we  will  have  all  the  rest  and  food  you  need." 

The  men  were  too  tired  and  weak  to  cheer,  or 
to  respond.  They  would  follow  Clark  to  the 
very  end,  and  die  before  they  would  turn  back, 
but  this  was  the  hardest  test  of  their  loyalty  that 
had  been  put  upon  them. 

"Where  is  Tim?"  inquired  Clark,  anxiously, 
for  he  had  almost  lost  sight  of  the  lad. 

One  of  the  men  pointed  to  a  huddled  heap 


256  The  Trail  Blazers 

over  under  a  tree.  "  There  he  is,  almost  worn  out, 
but  as  game  a  little  fellow  as  you  will  ever  see." 

Clark  went  to  where  the  boy  lay  and  bent  over 
him.  "Poor  little  drummer  boy,"  said  he,  almost 
to  himself. 

But  the  lad  was  not  asleep,  and  leaping  up 
saluted  the  Colonel  as  he  should.  "Tim,  when 
was  the  last  time  you  ate?"  demanded  Clark. 
"Yesterday,  sir,  a  bit  of  wet  bread,  but  I  am  not 
too  hungry  to  do  what  you  want." 

"Then  lie  down  and  go  to  sleep  if  you  can," 
said  Clark,  and  passed  on. 

The  next  morning  the  men  arose  from  their 
half  stupor  and  gazed  upon  the  long  waste  of 
water  around  them.  The  lands  were  drowned 
for  miles  along  the  banks  of  the  swollen  streams. 
The  order  was  given  to  march  and  the  men  fell 
in.  "We  may  reach  Vincennes  tonight,"  were 
the  cheerful  words  of  the  commander. 

The  men  plunged  into  the  water,  holding  their 
guns  and  powder  flasks  over  their  heads.  The 
water  was  always  three  feet  deep  and  in  some 
places  up  to  the  waists  of  the  men  as  they 
struggled  along.  Once  Tim  went  over  his  head, 
but  McCarty  was  near  him  and  seized  the  boy 
in  his  arms  and  placed  him  on  his  shoulders  until 
the  deep  part  was  over.  McCarty  himself  was 
wading  up  to  his  neck.    Thus  the  party  went  for 


Over  the  Drowned  Lands  257 

three  miles  until  they  came  to  a  little  hill  called 
the  Mamelle  where  there  was  dry  ground. 

The  men  sank  to  the  earth  and  fell  asleep  al- 
most as  soon  as  they  lay  down.  Their  clothes 
were  wet  and  they  had  not  eaten  for  forty-eight 
hours.  The  rain  had  ceased,  but  the  weather  be- 
came cold,  and  by  morning  everything  was  frozen. 

Clark  did  not  sleep.  He  posted  no  guard  for 
there  was  not  a  man  able  to  do  sentry  duty.  He 
kept  his  own  watch  during  the  long,  dark  hours, 
rising  every  now  and  then  to  look  the  camp  over 
and  see  that  the  men  were  not  freezing  to  death. 
He  smiled  when  he  saw  them  piled  close  together 
for  warmth,  Tim  in  the  midst  of  them. 

The  men  arose  long  before  day  and  began  to 
build  fires  to  save  themselves  from  freezing. 
Fortunately  they  gathered  enough  branches  from 
the  trees  to  start  fires  with  and  their  gunpowder 
did  the  rest. 

"This  is  the  last  day,  men,"  he  called  to  them, 
as  they  stamped  their  cold  feet  on  the  ground, 
and  held  their  hands  to  the  fire.  "We  have  water 
between  us  and  Vincennes,  but  one  more  plunge 
and  a  few  miles  march  and  we  will  be  there. 
Come  follow  me." 

Then  with  a  war  whoop  he  plunged  into  the 
water  and  started  forward.  The  men  fell  in 
silently  behind  him.    The  Colonel  ordered  those 


258  The  Trail  Blazers 

near  him  to  start  a  favorite  song.  This  they 
did.  The  others  caught  the  words  and  soon  the 
whole  line  was  singing. 

But  not  for  long.  The  men  were  almost 
frozen,  and  were  fighting  the  ice  before  them, 
which  in  still  places  was  a  half  inch  thick.  They 
were  half  submerged  in  the  icy  current  and  their 
hands  could  hardly  hold  their  guns. 

Some  of  the  volunteers  started  back,  but  Clark 
saw  them  in  time  and  ordered  Captain  Bowman 
to  bring  up  the  rear  line  and  to  shoot  any  man 
who  deserted.  At  the  end  of  a  mile  the  whole 
line  slackened.  "Colonel,  we  can  go  no  further. 
The  men  are  slipping  and  falling  now.  The 
strong  are  holding  up  the  weak.  We  will  not 
desert,  but  we  will  all  drown,"  was  the  cry. 

There  was  but  one  mile  more  of  the  water,  for 
Clark  had  already  seen  dry  land  ahead.  The 
men  were  all  up  to  their  waists  and  some  up  to 
their  shoulders,  staggering,  muttering,  and 
swearing  at  the  hard  luck.  Clark  saw  the  fear- 
ful plight  of  his  half  drowned  army  and  turned 
to  find  Tim. 

The  lad  was  being  carried  by  Big  Gate  and 
his  Indian  followers  on  a  kind  of  stretcher  they 
had  made  of  poles.  Calling  them  to  his  side,  he 
selected  a  big  sergeant,  who  appeared  to  have 
more  strength  than  the  others  and  said  to  Tim, 


Over  the  Drowned  Lands  259 

"Mount  the  shoulders  of  this  man,  Tim,  and  beat 
your  drum  for  the  men  to  march  by." 

Tim  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  The  sergeant 
heaved  him  up  on  his  shoulders  and  handed  him 
his  drum  and  sticks.  The  boy  began  to  beat  the 
march  of  the  troops  and  to  sing  a  lively  song. 
The  men  raised  a  feeble  shout,  gripped  harder 
than  ever  their  wet  rifles  and  took  hold  of  the  trail 
for  a  last  effort. 

An  hour  painfully  passed.  The  drum  beat 
steadily  while  Clark's  own  voice  rose  over  the 
water,  and  through  the  bushes,  "On,  men,  a  little 
further  and  there  is  dry  ground." 

The  strongest  reached  the  low  hill  where  there 
was  safety  and  shouted  a  glad  cry.  In  a  moment 
fires  were  started  to  cheer  those  still  struggling 
behind.  One  by  one  they  came  on  and  fell  before 
the  blazing  logs  hardly  able  to  go  a  step  more. 
But  Tim  did  not  stop  beating  his  drum  until  the 
last  man  was  pulled  onto  the  land. 

And  now  a  fortunate  circumstance  saved  the 
army.  In  about  two  hours  after  reaching  the 
hill,  an  Indian  canoe  came  by,  in  which  was  a 
squaw  and  four  children.  The  Indian  woman 
stopped  out  of  curiosity  to  see  the  white  men. 
The  canoe  contained  a  quarter  of  buffalo,  some 
corn  and  some  tallow,  and  a  few  kettles. 

The  men  now  shouted  in  real  earnest.    It  did 


260  The  Trail  Blazers 

not  take  long  to  cook  the  meat  and  the  corn  in 
the  kettles.  Broth  was  immediately  made  and 
served  to  the  weaker  ones.  Nearly  all  got  a  little, 
but  the  stronger  gave  of  their  portion  to  those 
most  needing  it,  saying  something  to  cheer  them 
as  they  eagerly  devoured  the  needed  food. 

The  next  day  a  short  march  over  dry  land 
brought  them  in  full  view  of  the  object  of  their 
attack.  Vincennes  lay  before  them,  two  miles 
distant.  Every  man  feasted  his  eyes  on  the  vil- 
lage. The  rain  was  over,  the  sun  was  shining,  the 
spirits  of  the  Long  Knives  returned  in  the  same 
vigor  they  had  when  they  were  before  Kaskaskia. 
The  men  forgot  their  sufferings  in  anticipation 
of  what  was  ahead  of  them. 

A  scouting  party  was  sent  forward  and  soon 
returned  with  a  Frenchman  who  had  been  hunt- 
ing and  the  firing  of  whose  gun  disclosed  his 
presence.    Clark  questioned  him  closely. 

"No,  General  Hamilton  does  not  expect  any 
enemy  to  approach  the  fort  at  this  time  of  the 
year.  If  you  are  the  Americans  of  whom  he  has 
spoken  he  will  be  surprised." 

"How  about  the  people  of  Vincennes  ?"  asked 
the  Colonel.  But  the  Frenchman  only  shrugged 
his  shoulders,  as  much  as  to  say  it  made  no  differ- 
ence to  him  or  to  them  who  was  master  of  Fort 
Sackville,  so  long  as  they  were  left  undisturbed. 


Tim  did  not  stop  beating  his  drum  until   the  last  man 
pulled  onto  the  land. 


V 


Over  the  Drowned  Lands  261 

The  man  was  dismissed  with  a  note  addressed  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  place  telling  them  that  the 
Long  Knives  would  attack  the  town  in  a  few 
hours,  that  they  were  friends  of  the  French  and 
meant  them  no  harm,  and  that  the  people  must 
remain  in  their  houses  and  keep  off  the  streets  or 
be  treated  as  enemies.  The  man  was  given  a  few 
hours  start  and  Clark  about  sunset  started  his 
own  forces  on  the  march. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  NEW  AMERICAN  NORTHWEST 

HAMILTON  had  finished  his  fort,  and  his 
men  were  housed.  On  the  very  day  he 
moved  in,  a  scout  named  Maisonville  returned 
from  a  trip  down  the  Ohio,  bringing  in  two 
prisoners  whom  he  had  captured.  They  were 
Americans  going  from  Fort  Pitt  to  Kaskaskia. 

On  going  into  the  fort,  Maisonville  took  the 
General  aside  and  said  to  him,  "I  saw  some  fires 
a  few  miles  below  Vincennes,  but  I  could  not 
tell  whether  they  were  made  by  Virginians  or 
by  Indians." 

Hamilton  questioned  the  prisoners  but  they 
could  tell  him  nothing.  "They  are  probably 
some  wandering  hunters  caught  by  the  rains  in 
the  woods.  Nothing  but  birds  could  come  over 
these  waters  from  Kaskaskia.  There  are  miles 
and  miles  of  water  over  the  trail,  and  to  think 
of  men  from  Virginia  at  this  time  of  the  year  is 
foolish." 

Therefore  the  General  laid  aside  his  fears  and 
betook  himself  to  playing  cards  with  the  officers, 

262 


The  New  American  Northwest        263 

a  game  of  which  he  was  very  fond.  The  day 
passed  and  the  evening  came  on.  There  was  an 
unusual  stir  among  the  better  class  of  the  inhabi- 
tants and  groups  of  them  were  gathered  together 
discussing  something  of  interest.  An  attentive 
listener  could  have  heard  the  words  "Clark"  and 
"the  Americans,"  for  the  matter  of  interest  was 
the  letter  sent  by  the  American  commander  a 
few  hours  before.  Still  no  one  of  them  told 
Hamilton  of  what  was  impending  and  he  was 
too  much  occupied  to  observe  anything  unusual. 

The  candles  were  lighted  in  the  fort  and  in  the 
houses  of  the  village.  Suddenly  the  garrison  was 
aroused  by  the  discharge  of  guns  just  outside  the 
gates.  "Those  Indians  are  drunk  again,"  ex- 
claimed Hamilton,  and  started  for  the  door. 
Hardly  had  he  gotten  outside  and  on  the  parade 
ground,  when  he  heard  the  whistling  of  bullets 
as  they  went  through  the  air  and  struck  the  fort. 
It  did  not  take  the  Lieutenant-Governor  long  to 
get  back  under  cover. 

The  garrison  rushed  to  the  fort  and  closed  the 
windows  and  doors.  "Do  not  fire  until  you  are 
certain  we  are  attacked,"  were  the  quick  orders. 
The  matter  was  soon  settled,  for  a  sergeant  re- 
ceived a  bullet  in  his  breast  and  staggered  back 
into  the  room. 

It  was  too  dark  for  Hamilton  to  see  his  enemy 


264  The  Trail  Blazers 

though  the  moon  was  shining  but  he  knew  they 
could  come  from  but  one  direction.  "The  Ameri- 
cans!" he  exclaimed  to  his  men.  "Surely  they 
have  not  crossed  those  raging  rivers." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  there  were  two  people  in 
the  fort  who  were  already  informed  of  the  ap- 
proach of  Clark.  One  was  Moses  Henry,  a 
prisoner  like  Helm,  whose  wife  was  allowed  to 
bring  him  provisions  daily,  and  the  other  was 
Captain  Helm.  As  soon  as  Clark's  letter  arrived 
she  had  heard  of  it,  and  going  with  her  basket 
of  food  to  her  husband  she  managed  to  whisper 
to  him,  "The  Americans,  five  hundred  in  number, 
are  within  a  mile  of  Vincennes  and  will  attack 
tonight.    Tell  the  Captain,  but  no  one  else." 

Henry  managed  to  convey  the  word  to  Helm, 
but  neither  of  them  showed  by  their  faces  or  con- 
duct that  anything  unusual  was  about  to  happen. 

Helm  was  one  of  the  men  with  whom  the  Gen- 
eral was  playing  cards.  The  Captain  at  once 
had  recognized  the  peculiar  roar  of  the  Long 
Knives'  rifles,  for  he  had  heard  it  often  enough. 
His  heart  leaped  for  joy,  but  he  gave  no  sign  of 
his  knowledge. 

Smilingly  he  said,  "If  Clark  has  come,  he  is 
here  too  soon,  for  he  has  broken  up  our  game  of 
cards.  Let  me  see  if  it  can  be  the  Colonel  and 
his  men." 


The  New  American  Northwest        265 

So  saying,  he  placed  a  lighted  candle  in  front 
of  a  window  and  throwing  open  the  shutters 
dodged  quickly.  In  a  moment  came  a  flash  and 
a  report  from  a  gun  not  far  away.  There  was  a 
puff  of  wind  as  a  bullet  swept  over  the  candle 
neatly  extinguishing  the  light  and  burying  itself 
in  the  wall  opposite  the  window. 

"Yes,  they  are  the  Long  Knives,"  said  Helm, 
coolly.  "Put  out  all  the  lights  while  I  close 
this  window,  or  we  will  all  be  extinguished  as 
was  that  candle." 

Clark  had  entered  the  town  about  seven 
o'clock,  and  had  at  once  gone  to  the  houses  of 
several  of  the  principal  inhabitants,  led  by  the 
Big  Gate,  who  knew  everyone  there.  In  a  few 
minutes  every  Frenchman  was  in  his  own  house, 
with  lights  out  and  doors  closed.  Then  the  Long 
Knives  took  possession  of  the  streets,  and  opened 
fire  on  the  fort  as  we  have  described  above.  The 
Colonel  had  no  fear  of  the  people,  for  he  let 
them  believe  he  had  five  hundred  men  with  him, 
and  they  were  fully  as  bloodthirsty  as  the  reputa- 
tion they  bore. 

It  was  now  clear  to  Hamilton  that  an  enemy 
was  assailing  his  post.  In  fact,  Clark  was  throw- 
ing up  entrenchments  in  the  street  about  two  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  gate  and  the  noise  made  by 


266  The  Trail  Blazers 

the  soldiers  could  be  easily  heard.  The  fort  was 
surrounded,  but  there  was  silence  for  awhile. 

A  fierce  banging  at  the  door  was  heard.  Upon 
being  opened  in  the  shadows  cautiously  by  a 
guard,  there  fell  into  the  room  a  Doctor  Mac- 
Beath,  who  happened  to  be  in  town  at  the  time 
and  who  had  heard  the  news  of  Clark's  coming. 
He  had  stumbled  over  to  the  fort  and  hidden  him- 
self just  as  the  firing  commenced.  When  it  ceased 
he  crawled  out  and  knocked  at  the  door  for  ad- 
mittance. It  was  the  sheerest  luck  that  he  was 
not  discovered  and  killed  by  a  shot  from  the  Long 
Knives. 

"Clark  and  five  hundred  men  are  here.  The 
French  are  shut  up  in  their  houses  and  will  be 
murdered  tonight.  Tomorrow  we  may  all  share 
their  fate.  Where  can  we  hide  or  how  can  we 
escape?" 

"Shut  up,  you  fool!"  cried  Hamilton,  angrily. 
"The  Long  Knives  are  not  savages,  and  we  shall 
not  be  murdered.  Get  a  gun  and  be  ready  to 
fight  like  a  man,  or  else  use  your  skill  on  that 
poor  sergeant  in  yonder  room  with  a  bullet  in  his 
breast." 

The  doctor  forgot  his  fears  in  his  profession, 
and  turned  to  the  sufferer  who  was  in  sad  need  of 
his  attention. 

The  Indian  allies  of  the  British  in  Vincennes 


The  New  American  Northwest        267 

at  the  time  were  surprised  beyond  measure  at  the 
appearance  of  the  whites.  Not  having  the  sup- 
port of  the  presence  of  Hamilton,  the  unfriendly- 
savages  ran  for  the  woods  and  quickly  escaped. 
Clark  gladly  let  them  go,  which  was  in  short 
order,  much  hastened  by  the  yells  and  war  whoops 
of  the  Big  Gate  and  his  followers.  In  fact  some 
of  the  Piankeshaws  were  in  town  and  had  al- 
ready rallied  around  their  chief  and  added  much 
to  the  noise  of  the  occasion. 

Since  The  Willing  had  not  yet  been  heard 
from,  and  much  of  the  powder  and  balls  were 
stored  on  that  boat,  Clark  found  it  necessary  to 
demand  ammunition  of  the  inhabitants,  as  well 
as  food  for  his  famished  men.  While  the  trenches 
were  being  dug,  he  easily  managed  by  a  detach- 
ment of  soldiers  to  get  all  he  wanted  from  the 
eager  and  willing  people.  Thus  his  own  men 
were  fed  and  supplied  with  what  they  needed  to 
attack  the  fort,  and  consequently  were  in  good 
spirits  as  the  night  wore  on. 

Clark's  men  were  now  behind  their  trenches, 
and  some  were  protected  by  houses  and  barns, 
so  that  there  was  not  much  danger  of  their  be- 
ing shot.  Hamilton  began  to  return  the  fire  of 
his  enemy,  but  not  seeing  any  of  them  his  guns 
did  little  damage  except  to  the  village  itself. 

The  Americans  were  in  high  glee.     "We've 


268  The  Trail  Blazers 

got  'em  all  penned  up  and  they  can't  get  away. 
This  for  the  Hair  Buyer,"  they  said,  as  they  dis- 
charged their  rifles. 

The  firing  from  both  sides  kept  up  during  the 
night.  The  moon  set  about  one  o'clock  and  the 
village  became  quite  dark.  Only  the  flashes  of 
the  guns  of  the  riflemen  in  the  streets,  and  from 
the  barricade  of  the  houses  and  barns,  and  the 
reply  of  the  guns  from  the  fort  lighted  the  dark- 
ness. 

During  the  night  a  scouting  party  of  about 
twenty  British  and  French  returned,  and  on 
reaching  the  commons  behind  the  town  heard  to 
their  great  surprise  a  discharge  of  musketry.  Not 
knowing  the  cause  they  secreted  themselves  in  a 
barn  and  awaited  developments.  The  party  was 
led  by  a  Frenchman  named  Lamothe.  He  and 
his  comrades,  half  of  whom  were  British  soldiers, 
lay  concealed  until  daylight.  They  knew  little 
else  than  that  the  town  and  fort  were  attacked 
and  probably  by  the  terrible  Americans  from 
Kaskaskia. 

Clark  heard  that  the  party  had  arrived  but  did 
not  know  where  they  were  concealed.  "They  will 
probably  make  off  unless  we  let  them  all  get  in 
the  fort.  Then  we  can  bag  the  whole  crowd," 
said  he  to  Captain  Bowman. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "If  they  get  off  they 


The  New  American  Northwest        269 

may  stir  up  those  Indians  that  ran  away  and 
bring  them  back  on  the  warpath.  It  is  best  to 
let  them  all  get  together." 

A  little  before  day  the  troops  were  withdrawn 
from  their  position  around  the  fort,  and  orders 
were  given  to  cease  firing.  Also  the  men  were 
told  not  to  interfere  with  Lamothe  and  his  men 
if  they  made  a  dash  for  the  fort,  unless  there 
was  a  chance  of  capturing  the  entire  party. 

In  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  Lamothe 
and  his  party  appeared  sneaking  around  the 
houses  and  approaching  the  fort.  They  passed 
within  ten  feet  of  an  officer  and  a  lot  of  men  that 
lay  concealed.  Ladders  were  thrown  to  them 
from  the  inside  by  which  they  could  climb  over 
the  palisade.  The  party  began  to  mount  the  lad- 
ders and  were  in  the  act  of  getting  over  the  pali- 
sade when  Clark's  men  shouted  and  raised  a  war 
whoop.  This  terrified  the  British  and  French 
so  much  that  they  fell  off  the  ladders,  some  in- 
side and  some  outside  the  fort.  But  as  they  were 
not  fired  on,  they  all  scrambled  up  the  ladders 
again  and  leaped  inside  much  to  the  joy  of  their 
friends  and  to  the  amusement  of  the  Long 
Knives,  who  could  easily  have  killed  every  one 
of  them. 

The  firing  began  again  on  both  sides,  and 
lasted  until  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning. 


270  The  Trail  Blazers 

Clark  sent  a  note  under  a  flag  of  truce,  demand- 
ing of  Hamilton  that  he  surrender.  The  letter 
contained  the  threat:  "If  I  am  obliged  to  storm 
the  fort  you  may  depend  upon  such  treatment  as 
is  justly  due  a  murderer." 

While  the  letter  was  being  conveyed  to  the 
British  commander  Clark's  men  took  occasion 
to  scatter  among  the  houses  of  the  people  and 
provide  themselves  with  breakfast,  which  was 
the  only  decent  meal  they  had  eaten  in  eighteen 
days. 

Hamilton  assembled  his  men  and  read  them 
the  note.  He  then  told  them,  "I  am  not  disposed 
to  surrender  to  such  people  as  these.  If  they 
want  this  fort  they  will  have  to  come  and  get  it. 
What  is  your  opinion?" 

The  British  soldiers  declared  they  would  de- 
fend the  King's  colors  and  stick  to  Hamilton 
"like  the  shirt  on  his  back."  They  then  gave 
three  cheers,  and  swore  they  were  not  afraid  of 
any  Americans  no  matter  where  they  came  from. 
The  few  French  soldiers  with  Lamothe's  party 
said  nothing. 

Hamilton  replied  to  Clark's  note.  "Governor 
Hamilton  begs  leave  to  acquaint  Colonel  Clark 
that  he  and  his  garrison  are  not  disposed  to  be 
awed  into  any  action  unworthy  of  a  British  sub- 


The  New  American  Northwest        271 

ject" — a  soldierly  reply  indeed,  but  ill  fitting  as 
a  boast  considering  his  past  offences. 

The  firing  commenced  warmly.  Clark  had  to 
restrain  his  men  who  were  apt  to  expose  them- 
selves in  their  eagerness.  The  demand  from 
many  was,  "Let  us  storm  this  fort,  batter  down 
the  gate  and  kill  or  take  prisoners  the  Hair  Buyer 
and  all  his  men."  But  the  Colonel  held  his  men 
in  check,  knowing  that  the  surrender  would  come 
soon  enough. 

And  now  the  marksmanship  of  the  Long 
Knives  began  to  appear  as  the  sun  grew  bright 
and  the  sighting  of  the  rifles  was  easy.  Through 
openings  in  the  trenches  or  from  doors  and  win- 
dows of  houses  and  barns  the  two  hundred  men 
slowly  took  aim  at  every  loop  hole,  crack,  open- 
ing and  crevice  in  the  fort,  and  fired  their  shots 
so  accurately  that  many  of  them  found  their  way 
inside. 

Helm  had  warned  the  men  to  keep  away  from 
the  loop  holes  which  were  used  for  firing  guns 
from  the  fort.  "If  you  try  to  look  through  them 
you  may  get  hurt." 

One  of  the  men  more  adventurous  than  the 
others  disregarded  the  advice  and  put  his  eye  to 
a  hole  to  see  what  was  going  on  outside.  A  sharp 
report  came  from  a  nearby  house.  A  ball  crashed 
through  the  narrow  opening,  striking  the  soldier 


272  The  Trail  Blazers 

in  the  eye.  He  fell  back  into  the  arms  of  his 
companions,  the  blood  streaming  over  his  face. 

This  dismayed  the  soldiers  considerably,  since 
six  of  them  were  badly  wounded.  The  French 
soldiers  declared  they  had  had  enough  and  were 
not  going  to  fire  at  all,  since  it  appeared  that 
their  friends  and  relatives  had  already  joined 
the  Americans. 

Hamilton  realized  that  his  boast  of  holding 
the  fort  was  an  idle  one  and  that  he  would  have 
to  surrender  sooner  or  later,  but  he  was  resolved 
to  get  the  best  terms  possible.  Clark  was  bent 
on  no  terms  except  complete  and  unconditional 
surrender. 

It  was  midday,  and  of  a  sudden  the  firing  from 
the  fort  ceased.  Clark  was  about  to  yield  to  the 
entreaties  of  his  men  to  make  an  assault  upon 
the  palisades,  but  hearing  the  guns  no  longer  in 
action  he  ordered  his  own  men  to  desist. 

A  flag  of  truce  was  seen  to  be  approaching 
from  the  fort.  Clark  recognized  Captain  Helm 
as  its  bearer.  Helm  was  on  parole  and  forbore 
any  cordial  greetings  from  himself  to  his  superior 
officer  though  he  rejoiced  to  see  him  again. 

Helm  saluted  and  said,  "Lieutenant-Governor 
Hamilton  is  willing  to  surrender  the  fort  and 
garrison,  provided  Colonel  Clark  will  grant  him 


The  New  American  Northwest        273 

honorable  terms.  The  Governor  requests  the 
Colonel  to  come  into  the  fort  for  a  conference." 

To  this  Clark  promptly  replied,  "I  shall  not 
agree  to  any  terms  except  surrender  at  my  discre- 
tion. I  shall  give  Governor  Hamilton  one  half 
hour  to  consider  my  answer.  As  to  my  entering 
the  fort,  that  is  out  of  the  question." 

Helm  saluted  and  withdrew.  In  a  half  hour 
he  returned  with  the  flag  of  truce  and  said, 
"Governor  Hamilton  desires  a  truce  of  three  days 
in  which  there  shall  be  no  offensive  warfare  on 
either  side.  If  Colonel  Clark  declines  to  enter 
the  fort  he  will  see  him  at  the  gate." 

Clark  was  not  of  a  very  patient  temper.  He 
saw  no  reason  for  such  a  delay  and  although  re- 
inforcements from  The  Willing  could  reasonably 
be  expected  within  that  time,  which  would  make 
the  delay  to  his  advantage,  he  testily  replied, 
"Tell  Governor  Hamilton  that  I  have  given  him 
my  answer.  If  he  desires  a  conference  with  me 
I  will  meet  him  at  the  church.  I  also  desire  your 
presence  at  the  conference,  Captain  Helm." 

The  Colonel  and  the  Captain  exchanged 
glances  of  a  happy  understanding  and  separated, 
the  Colonel  going  to  his  quarters  and  the  Cap- 
tain returning  to  the  fort. 

All  was  quiet  on  the  streets.  A  messenger 
came  into  Clark's  room  and  said  to  him,  "I  am 


274  The  Trail  Blazers 

informed  that  a  party  of  Indians  is  coming  up 
from  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  with  prisoners  and 
scalps,  which  they  have  taken  over  in  Kentucky." 

"Where  are  they  now?"  demanded  the  Colonel, 
hastily, 

"They  are  not  far  from  here,  probably  within 
a  half  mile." 

"Do  my  men  know  about  it?" 

"Yes,  they  have  heard  of  it,  and  are  so  in- 
furiated that  a  detachment  has  already  broken 
away  and  gone  to  intercept  them." 

"May  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  them,  if  my 
soldiers  take  them  with  scalps  in  their  possession, 
for  some  of  the  men  are  from  Kentucky,"  said 
Clark. 

The  report  was  true,  and  some  of  Clark's  men 
had  gone  in  pursuit  of  the  savages.  The  party 
consisted  of  eight  Indians  and  two  Frenchmen. 
To  their  great  surprise  the  Long  Knives  ap- 
peared in  their  path  and  captured  the  entire 
party,  except  one  who  made  his  escape. 

In  their  belts  were  hung  a  number  of  scalps,  the 
blood  clotted  to  the  hair  of  the  helpless  victims. 
Seeing  them,  the  Long  Knives,  maddened  with 
the  thought  of  where  the  scalps  might  have  been 
taken,  fell  upon  the  Indians  and  slew  three  of 
them  at  once. 

"Let's  take  the  others  to  town  and  slay  them 


The  New  American  Northwest        275 

in  front  of  the  Hair  Buyer  himself,"  exclaimed 
one  of  the  soldiers. 

To  this  the  others  agreed,  and  a  procession  was 
formed  of  the  four  Indians  and  the  two  French- 
men, and  the  party  started  toward  Vincennes. 
When  they  reached  the  parade  ground  in  front 
of  the  fort,  there  was  a  crowd  of  soldiers  and  citi- 
zens around  them.  The  Long  Knives  stood  the 
four  Indians  up  in  a  line  and  shook  the  scalps  at 
the  fort  so  that  Hamilton  might  see  what  was 
going  on  and  the  cause.  Then  seizing  their 
tomahawks  they  slew  the  savages  and  flung  their 
bodies  into  the  river. 

The  two  Frenchmen  were  dressed  like  the  In- 
dians and  were  of  their  party.  The  Long  Knives 
were  for  putting  them  to  death  also,  but  one  of 
them  had  a  father  in  Vincennes  who  recognized 
his  son  and  on  his  knees  begged  for  his  life.  The 
other  had  a  sister  who  threw  her  arms  around  his 
neck  and  cried  piteously  for  him  to  be  spared. 

Clark  had  come  up  and  did  not  try  to  stop  the 
slaying  of  the  Indians.  But  when  he  saw  the  two 
Frenchmen  interceded  for  in  so  moving  a  man- 
ner, he  ordered  them  released  and  delivered  to 
their  families,  though  he  muttered  to  himself, 
"They  are  worse  than  the  savages,  for  they  know 
better,  but  I  cannot  withstand  a  father's  p  &yers 
and  a  sister's  tears." 


276  The  Trail  Blazers 

Clark  and  Hamilton  soon  met  in  the  church 
for  a  conference.    Helm  was  present. 

"I  am  ready  to  surrender  my  garrison,  but  I 
hope  Colonel  Clark  will  let  me  do  it  with  honor," 
said  the  Governor. 

"I  understand  you  have  eight  hundred  men 
here.  I  came  to  fight  that  many,"  replied  the 
Colonel,  evasively. 

"Your  information  is  incorrect.  We  have 
only  a  small  force." 

"I  know  your  strength,"  replied  Clark,  "and 
I  know  I  can  take  your  fort.  I  offer  you  no 
other  terms  except  submission  to  my  discretion." 

"If  I  cannot  surrender  on  honorable  terms  I 
will  fight  it  out  to  the  last,"  and  Hamilton  arose 
as  if  to  depart. 

Clark  replied  that  it  would  give  his  men  in- 
finite satisfaction  to  continue  the  attack,  for  it 
was  their  desire  to  punish  those  who  had  been 
responsible  for  so  much  atrocity  in  the  land  from 
which  his  men  had  come. 

Turning  to  Helm  the  Colonel  continued,  "Sir, 
you  are  a  prisoner  on  parole.  I  desire  you  to 
reconduct  General  Hamilton  into  the  fort,  and 
there  to  remain  until  I  take  you." 

Hamilton  still  standing,  said,  "Colonel  Clark, 
why  will  you  force  me  to  dishonor  myself,  when 
you  cannot  acquire  more  honor  by  it?" 


Hamilton   said,    "Colonel    Clark,    why    will  you  force  me  to 
dishonor  myself?" 


The  New  American  Northwest        277 

"Because,  sir,"  was  the  heated  reply,  "could  I 
look  upon  you  as  an  honorable  soldier  I  would 
do  all  in  my  power  to  favor  you,  but  you  have 
sent  savages  into  my  state  and  have  allowed  them 
to  burn,  scalp  and  murder,  until  you  do  not  de- 
serve anything  at  my  hands.  The  whole  country 
holds  you  in  horror  and  detestation." 

Hamilton  trembled  before  the  accusation,  and 
feebly  replied,  "My  character  has  been  stained 
by  false  reports.  I  could  not  do  otherwise  than 
engage  the  Indians  and  when  they  brought  back 
scalps  I  was  powerless  to  reprove  them.  I  beg 
of  you,  sir — " 

"No  more,"  said  Clark.  "I  have  heard  enough. 
Captain  Helm,  take  the  General  back  to  his  fort 
and  prepare  for  battle.  It  will  begin  as  soon  as 
you  are  behind  the  doors."  Clark  saluted  as  if 
the  words  he  had  spoken  were  final. 

"Give  me  one  hour  to  consult  my  officers,  and 
I  shall  return  to  this  place.  If  you  refuse  this 
I  shall  prepare  for  defence  and  meet  your  attack 
as  best  I  may,"  requested  the  General. 

Clark  could  not  well  deny  this.  He  knew  that 
Hamilton  in  all  probability  would  surrender  but 
was  not  certain.  His  own  men  were  tired  and 
needed  refreshment.    "One  hour  then,"  said  he. 

When  Hamilton  returned  to  the  fort  and  con- 
sulted his  officers  he  explained  to  them  that  he 


278  The  Trail  Blazers 

had  fewer  men  than  Clark,  that  reinforcements 
were  out  of  the  question,  that  provisions  and  am- 
munition would  not  sustain  a  long  siege.  "Be- 
sides this,"  said  he  to  his  men,  "There  is  the 
miserable  condition  of  our  wounded,  the  fort 
has  been  undermined  at  one  angle,  and  we  cannot 
escape  by  land  or  water  if  we  tried.  There  is 
nothing  to  do  but  surrender." 

At  the  end  of  the  hour  Hamilton  returned  to 
the  church  and  accepted  such  terms  of  surrender 
as  Clark  dictated.  The  terms  were  simple.  Fort 
Sackville  was  to  be  surrendered  with  all  its  stores, 
provisions,  arms  and  cannon;  the  garrison  was 
to  march  out  and  deliver  themselves  up  as 
prisoners  of  war  at  ten  o'clock  next  day;  three 
days  were  to  be  allowed  to  them  to  settle  their 
accounts  with  the  merchants. 

The  word  soon  passed  around  that  the  fort 
had  surrendered.  The  Long  Knives  grew  jubi- 
lant and  showed  their  joy  by  bonfires  and  feast- 
ing. Hamilton  spent  the  night  in  gloomy  silence 
assorting  his  papers  and  preparing  the  best  re- 
port he  could  to  his  superior  officers. 

At  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  February 
25th,  1779,  the  companies  of  Captain  Bowman 
and  Captain  McCarty  paraded  in  front  of  the 
gate  of  the  fort.  Clark  remained  at  his  head- 
quarters.     Hamilton    and    seventy-nine    men 


The  New  American  Northwest        279 

marched  out  with  fixed  bayonets  and  stood  at 
attention.  Then  by  order  of  their  own  officers 
they  stacked  their  guns  and  formally  surrendered 
to  the  two  American  captains.  Hamilton  and 
his  whole  force  were  put  on  parole  and  Clark 
was  in  full  charge  of  Vincennes. 

Over  the  fort  soon  floated  the  stars  and  stripes. 
It  was  there  to  greet  The  Willing  when  it  plowed 
its  way  painfully  up  the  still  swollen  Wabash 
a  few  days  later,  and  whose  officers  were  much 
mortified  to  be  too  late  for  the  ceremony  of  chang- 
ing the  name  to  Fort  Patrick  Henry. 

Two  weeks  later  Clark  was  in  his  quarters  hav- 
ing a  last  interview  with  his  prisoner. 

"General  Hamilton,  I  have  paroled  about  fifty 
of  your  men  and  allowed  them  to  return  to  their 
homes  in  Detroit.  You  and  twenty-six  others, 
whose  conduct  I  cannot  excuse,  are  to  be  sent 
by  boat  and  overland  to  Williamsburg,  to  report 
to  Governor  Henry  as  prisoners  of  war.  He  will 
detain  you  until  you  are  exchanged." 

"And  what  will  you  do,  sir,  in  this  miserable 
land?" 

"I?  I  shall  make  myself  happy  in  the  con- 
templation that  your  surrender  has  made  it  pos- 
sible for  all  this  territory  to  be  added  to  the  do- 
main of  the  United  States  when  the  time  comes 
to  make  a  treaty  of  peace  with  your  king." 


280  The  Trail  Blazers 

"That  may  never  be,  sir,"  replied  the  prisoner. 

"It  will  be  sooner  than  you  think,  for  the  Brit- 
ish people  are  weary  of  this  war  and  are  ill-dis- 
posed toward  your  stubborn  ruler.  I  wish  you 
well,  on  your  journey  to  your  prison.  I  have 
sent  my  regards  to  Governor  Henry  by  a  mes- 
senger, with  full  details  of  all  that  has  happened." 

Hamilton  made  no  reply.  He  was  ready  to 
depart  in  a  boat  where  the  other  prisoners  had 
by  this  time  been  placed.  He  saluted  the  Colonel 
with  ill-concealed  mortification. 

"One  thing  more,"  said  Clark.  "This  drum- 
mer boy  here,  whose  name  is  Tim,  will  precede 
you  and  beat  his  drum  for  you  and  your  guard 
to  march  by  on  your  way  to  the  boats." 

In  a  few  moments  the  beat  of  a  drum  was 
heard  in  the  street,  with  a  more  martial  sound 
than  it  ever  had  before  and  Clark  knew  that 
Tim  was  having  the  proudest  moment  of  his  life. 

The  Colonel  bent  his  head  to  his  hands  and 
thought  of  Vincennes  and  Kentucky,  his  home, 
his  friends,  his  kindred.  Outside  the  Long 
Knives  were  already  babbling  of  home  ties,  but 
not  one  was  impatient  to  leave  before  the  Colonel 
gave  the  word.  The  day  wore  on  in  silence. 
The  night  came  and  Vincennes  with  its  con- 
querors slept  peacefully  with  the  stars  and 
stripes  waving  over  an  American  territory. 


The  New  American  Northwest        281 

Three  years  passed  and  the  scene  changes  to 
Paris.  Cornwallis  had  surrendered  at  Yorktown, 
and  the  war  of  the  Revolution  was  over.  The 
American  commissioners  were  arranging  terms 
of  the  treaty  of  peace  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain.  The  independence  of  the 
colonies  was  quickly  conceded.  When  it  came 
to  boundary  lines,  Benjamin  Franklin  remarked, 
"We  will  keep  what  we  have  conquered.  George 
Rogers  Clark  has  won  the  northwest  territory 
moving  the  line  of  possession  from  the  Ohio  to 
the  Lakes." 

There  was  no  denying  the  statement.  In  the 
end  it  was  agreed  that  all  that  territory  should 
become  a  part  of  the  common  union. 

Nearly  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  have  passed 
since  then.  The  savage  no  longer  roams  along 
the  Illinois  or  builds  his  wigwam  on  the  banks 
of  the  Wabash.  The  little  villages  of  the  pioneer 
have  disappeared  and  the  trails  no  longer  lead 
through  the  forest.  Millions  of  people  have 
moved  onto  the  rich  prairies,  and  into  the  deep 
woods.  Great  cities  have  sprung  up,  and  roaring 
trains  rush  over  lands  where  the  pioneer  made  his 
painful  journey;  vast  fields  of  grain  wave  where 
once  was  only  prairie  grass ;  great  factories  hum 
where  once  was  only  the  sound  of  wind  in  the 
trees. 


282  The  Trail  Blazers 

We  wonder  how  many  of  these  millions  know 
that  to  the  intrepid  courage  of  a  young  Virginian 
and  his  band  of  sturdy  followers  is  due  the  good 
fortune  that  brings  them  under  the  happy  in- 
fluence of  the  American  flag. 


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